Jon Tippett charged with drink driving, asks cop if breatho can be lowered
One of the NT’s most senior lawyers has allegedly crashed into a cop car while driving home from a boozy night out, with leaked footage showing the silk asking if his breathalyser reading could be improved.
One of the Northern Territory’s most senior lawyers has allegedly crashed into a cop car while driving home from a boozy night out, with leaked video from the police watch-house showing the silk asking if his breathalyser reading could be improved.
Barrister Jon Tippett KC was listed to face the Darwin Local Court on January 10 charged with medium range drink driving, careless driving, and damage to property.
The NT News understands Mr Tippett allegedly crashed into the back of a police car at the intersection of Cavanagh and Daly streets in the Darwin CBD on November 15 last year.
He was taken to the Palmerston watch-house following the incident where he was breathalysed, allegedly returning a blood alcohol reading more than double the legal limit.
Video published by the NT Independent shows Mr Tippett at the watch-house about 10.20pm that night.
In the footage Mr Tippett asks the officer whether it was possible to change his 0.11 reading: “Can we get it under 0.1,” he says.
The officer responds: “No we can’t, we’ve got a result.”
Learning it was a mid-range reading, Mr Tippett said “that’s not too bad”.
“You’re too drunk and you crashed your car,” the officer says.
“C’mon bruz, (inaudible, laughing), it’s not the end of the world,” Tippett says.
“It’s not the end of the world, but someone in your position shouldn’t be doing that,” the officer says.
“I know that,” Mr Tippett says. “And the thing is everybody is going to make an absolute f***ing, you know, it’s going to be the thing isn’t it? You know what I mean?
“Anyway, guys like you simply can make it a whole lot easier by giving me …”
The officer interrupts him, both laughing: “Trust me, you don’t want to go down the line where you’re trying to bribe a cop.”
“I’d never bribe a cop, f***ing hell, my relations are cops,” Mr Tippett says.
“But the thing is, the further down the road we go into January, would be best, if you could do that for me.”
At multiple points in the conversation Mr Tippett appears to encourage the officer to organise a court date after the new year – a wish ultimately granted due to court shutdown and notice periods.
Mr Tippett, 71, is former president of both the NT Law Society and Criminal Lawyers Association NT and has appeared in some of the Territory’s most notorious cases.
Mr Tippett told the NT News he intended to plead guilty to the charges of drink driving and careless driving, but would contest the property damage charge on the grounds he did not intend to cause any damage.
“I sincerely apologise for my serious failure to the Northern Territory community who is entitled to expect more leadership from a person in my position,” he said in a statement.
“I was treated with appropriate respect by police. I am deeply embarrassed by my failure to comply with important legal restraints relating to driving and the possible danger to others that my behaviour has exhibited, but I deny any attempt to minimise my responsibility.
“I am grateful for the respect and professionalism the police officers exhibited in their dealings with me. I expect to be penalised accordingly. I was extremely embarrassed by my failure and offer my sincere apologies. My behaviour was a product of my deep embarrassment. I expect that the community of Darwin will judge me harshly. I expect to be suitably chastised by the courts.
“I admire our system of justice as one that deals equally for all. I also admire our free press that can bring the failures of people like me to the attention of all. I expect publication of any misdeed I have engaged in as it is a proper and appropriate response. We must all be accountable.
“My sincere apologies to the community I hold dear and have done so since 1980.”
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Originally published as Jon Tippett charged with drink driving, asks cop if breatho can be lowered
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