Raymond Kauron pleads guilty in Roma Magistrates Court to drink driving twice and driving on a suspended licence

A Roma man has copped a hefty fine and licence disqualification after police nabbed him twice in as many days drunk behind the wheel.

Getting caught drink driving once wasn’t enough for a 40-year-old Roma man who was busted twice in as many days behind the wheel while drunk.

Appearing before a magistrate, the father of two cited alcohol abuse and a myriad of reasons including car insurance for his recent bouts of drink driving.

Raymond Kauron pleaded guilty in Roma Magistrates Court on Wednesday to two counts of driving over the middle alcohol limit but not the high alcohol limit and driving on a suspended licence.

The court was told on October 31 Roma police intercepted a sedan on Hawthorne Street North for a random breath test and licence check.

When police approached the vehicle, Kauron told police he had been drinking and was “f---ed already”.

He admitted to consuming six full strength beers at his home and another two schooners of beer at The Club Hotel in Roma.

Kauron told police he had been harassed by a friend to pay money he owed, so he drove down to The Club Hotel to have a few drinks and to give money to his friends.

The court was told the 40-year-old returned a reading of 0.125, and his licence was taken off him.

However, less than 24 hours after getting his licence suspended, Roma police spotted Kauron driving the same vehicle on Bell Street, Roma on November 1.

Raymond Kauron pleaded guilty in Roma Magistrates Court on Wednesday, November 30 2022 to two counts of driving over the middle alcohol limit and driving on a suspended licence.

After he was stopped Kauron told police he had two mid strength beers earlier that morning and he was charged with driving on a suspended licence and subsequently released from the Roma police station.

Later that day, police spotted Kauron for the third time in two days driving, and after he was stopped returned a positive roadside reading for alcohol, with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.143 confirmed when taken to the Roma police station, police found three cans of beer stuffed inside his coat.

The court was told Kauron told police that this time he was simply moving his car undercover to protect it from an incoming hailstorm.

He admitted it was a “silly decision”, but said he had a new hybrid and his insurance company said it had to be kept undercover.

“So he was picked up for drink driving and had more drinks then drove again,” magistrate Shane Elliott said.

“He’s going to be without a licence for a long time.

“You went back, drank more and have done it again.

“You’re on good income as a mechanical technician providing for family here and in Papua New Guinea and you’ve risked that by driving over the mid range.

“It might affect your employment, but they’re the consequences of your actions.”

Mr Elliott told Kauron that in his case the charges were accumulative, which meant Kauron faced more than two years without a licence.

Kauron landed a $1500 fine, was disqualified from driving for a total of two years and eight months.

“If you commit any offences in the next two years and eight months you won’t get your licence back,” the magistrate said.

Originally published as Raymond Kauron pleads guilty in Roma Magistrates Court to drink driving twice and driving on a suspended licence