Robyn Lambley’s husband, Craig Lambley pleads guilty to medium range drink driving

The husband of a Territory politician – caught driving more than twice the legal limit – has been slapped with a hefty fine and banned from driving for months. Find out what happened in court.

Craig Lambley, husband of Araluen MLA Robyn Lambley, leaves the Alice Springs Local Court on Wednesday, October 9, 2024. Picture: Gera Kazakov

The husband of Independent Araluen MLA Robyn Lambley has been slapped with a fine and left “embarrassed” after he was caught driving more than two times over the legal limit.

Craig Lambley, 55, fronted the Alice Springs Local Court on Wednesday, where he pleaded guilty to a single charge of driving with a medium range blood alcohol content.

Lambley, who appeared in court alone, stood up and stared straight at Judge Anthony Hopkins, his voice slightly croaking as he pleaded guilty.

Police prosecutor Seth McMahon told the court that on August 30 this year, Lambley had been driving a white Hino tipper truck along the Stuart Highway with a blood-alcohol content of 0.144.

The court heard the night before had been a big one for Lambley, who thought he would be fine to drive the next morning.

No details were read to the court as to how much alcohol he had consumed the night before.

Robyn Lambley's husband, Craig Lambley.

Defending Lambley was John Stirk, who said his client felt “embarrassment” and his actions had “created ripples”, which had affected his “wife and daughter”.

The media interest in the case was also a “punishment”, Mr Stirk said.

Mr Stirk said Lambley, who owns Mad Harry’s Discount Store in Alice Springs, was a “contributing member of the Alice Springs community”.

He argued for Lambley to be fined, with no conviction to be recorded – which was not opposed by Mr McMahon.

It wasn’t Lambley’s first time before the courts, Mr Stirk said, as his client had previously been convicted in 1993.

But as it was under a different variation of the Traffic Act, Mr Stirk asked the court to disqualify it.

Judge Hopkins spared Lambley a conviction – much to Lambley’s relief, as he let out a sigh.

Craig Lambley, husband of Araluen MLA Robyn Lambley, leaves the Alice Springs Local Court on Wednesday. Picture: Gera Kazakov

“In that period of 30 years, you’ve been someone who has made very extensive positive contributions to the community at large,” Judge Hopkins said.

“I do find that you are a person of positive, good character over a very sustained period.”

He said despite this, Lambley’s reading had been “significant” and “clearly” he had not been fine to drive.

“You immediately spoke to police and made admissions. You told them that you’ve been drinking the night before and you were driving that morning, so you believed that you were okay to drive,” he said.

“Clearly with that reading, you weren’t, but that doesn’t mean that wasn’t your highest view at the time.”

Lambley was fined $1000 with a $100 victims levy.

He was disqualified from driving for six months.

Originally published as Robyn Lambley’s husband, Craig Lambley pleads guilty to medium range drink driving