Ashley Allen Dynon crashed his car on way home from Alcoholics Anonymous meeting

A 55-year-old Toowoomba man who crashed his car while more than three times the legal limit said his only memory of the night was leaving an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

A 55-year-old Toowoomba man was three times the legal blood alcohol limit when he crashed his car on the way home from an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

Ashley Allen Dynon later told police he had no recollection of the crash and that his last memory of that night was leaving the AA meeting at about 7.30pm, Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told.

Police prosecutor Kinsley Weir told the court police had been called to a two vehicle crash at the corner of Alderley and Hoey streets, Kearneys Spring, about 10.30pm Friday, June 16.

Witnesses told police Dynon had been driving north on Hoey St and had driven straight through the intersection and “T-boned” the other vehicle, she said.

Ashley Allen Dynon speaks with his lawyer outside Toowoomba Courthouse on Monday, August 21, 2023.

Dynon’s vehicle was found against a power pole with its airbags activated while the other vehicle had crashed into a tree and had its airbags activated as well, Senior Constable Weir said.

Police found Dynon being attended to by paramedics in the back of an ambulance and when asked to provide a specimen of breath he appeared to drift off to sleep, she said.

However, later at the hospital a sample of blood was taken which showed Dynon at the time had a blood-alcohol level equivalent to 0.15, Snr Const. Weir said.

Dynon pleaded guilty to driving while under the influence of liquor and to driving without due care and attention.

The court was told Dynon had not had a drop of alcohol since the incident, had no criminal history at all and only a minor traffic record.

That day the aged care worker had a client pass away which had left him in an emotional state, the court was told.

The 55-year-old had started attending AA after realising he was drinking too much during the Covid pandemic and his only memory of the night was of being at the AA meeting.

Magistrate Kay Philipson said she would increase the fine and keep the disqualification period to a minimum after being told Dynon would not be able to work without driving to the aged care facility which was outside of Toowoomba.

“Clearly this is out of character for you, but it’s an extremely serious offence,” Ms Philipson told Dynon, who was fined $1200 and disqualified from driving for six months with no conviction recorded.