A Lue man charged with mid-range driving during a three-day police operation specifically targetting alcohol-impaired drivers, was fined $880 and disqualified for two months to be followed by a 12-month interlock period.
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Mark James Barnes of Bara-Lue Road, Lue, was stopped by police at 6.30pm on Friday, November 1, 2019.
After he returned a positive roadside breath test in Cox Street, Lue, he was taken to Mudgee Police Station, where a breath analysis of 0.134 was recorded.
In Mudgee Local Court on Wednesday, December 18, 2019, the 52-year-old's solicitor, Richard Wise, noted that in the police facts submitted for sentence "he initially said he'd had five light beers, but on reflection..."
At which point Magistrate David Day interjected, and said that amount was "simply impossible" given the reading. And Mr Wise said this was conceded by his client.
"He must've lost count after five drinks," Magistrate Day continued. "Another couple of drinks and he would've been into the high-range, bearing in mind, mid-range is a jailable offence."
Barnes had been stopped as part of the state-wide 'Operation Drink Drive 2' (November 1-3).
During which, Western Region officers conducted 16,816 random breath tests that lead to over 40 people charged with drinking and driving.
Furthermore, over 30 Traffic Infringement Notices were issued for restraint offences, along with four for mobile phones, 314 for speeding, and 389 for other offences.
