Jack Anthony Hardwick blew over the limit twice within three hours

A 21-year-old man has been picked up by police twice driving in Wilsonton with a breath/alcohol limit more than the legal limit. In sentencing, he offered an explanation for his actions,

A 21-year-old Toowoomba man caught drink-driving twice within three hours has been left with a huge fine and ordered off the roads for more than two years.

Jack Anthony Hardwick had told police on patrol in North St about 1.30am, January 9, that he had drunk a can of rum and cola after being involved in a relatively minor two-vehicle crash nearby.

After testing positive for alcohol at the roadside, he was taken to the police station for a breath analysis and blew a breath/alcohol reading of 0.117 and had his driver’s licence suspended for 24 hours and released on bail, Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard.

Jack Anthony Hardwick, 21, was caught drink-driving twice within three hours Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told on April 28.

However, police patrolling Wilsonton about two hours later had spotted Hardwick’s vehicle on North St and police computer checks pointed to his licence being under 24-hour suspension.

Police prosecutor Anita Page told the court the police followed the vehicle which sped away, going through a stop sign on Tor St and turning its headlights off as the vehicle turned around a corner and into Berry St where police soon after found him standing beside the vehicle.

Hardwick initially denied driving the vehicle home, telling police his mother had driven him home but he soon came clean, telling the officers that he didn’t want to leave his vehicle parked in the area, she said.

This time Hardwick blew a breath/alcohol reading of 0.083, Ms Page told the court.

The self-represented Hardwick pleaded guilty to both drink-driving offences as well as to driving on a suspended driver’s licence, failing to stop at a stop line, and not using lights when driving at night or in hazardous conditions.

He told the court that he didn’t realise it was the police behind him when he turned off his vehicle’s headlights and said he just wanted to get the vehicle home.

Magistrate Howard Osborne fined Hardwick a total $2050 and disqualified him from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for two years and seven months.