Mark Ross MacDonald, 24, of Glenormiston Road, pleaded guilty in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court yesterday to drink-driving and careless driving.

At 1.45am on October 19 last year MacDonald was driving east along the Princes Highway just west of Panmure when he hit an electricity pole.

He later recorded a blood-alcohol reading of .117 and admitted to drinking five or six pots and a vodka cruiser. MacDonald told police he might have fallen asleep.

Defence counsel Ian Pugh said the cost of repairs to the power pole was $17,000 and MacDonald had been driving his mother's $13,000 car, which was wrecked.

"There would have been a far greater cost if he had killed himself or someone else," Mr Pugh said.

The solicitor said his client had made the decision to drive because he was anxious to return the car to his mother.

Mr Pugh asked that Mr MacDonald not receive a conviction as it could influence his working with children and his client's registration as a teacher.

He said MacDonald was genuinely remorseful and he would be affected by the cost of the accident for a long time.

Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt said the circumstances of the collision meant that the charges aggravated each other.

He said members of the public were put at risk and MacDonald's decision to drive had been significantly affected by his alcohol consumption.

Mr Klestadt said many people appeared in court who, when sober, would never consider drinking and driving if affected by alcohol.

"On one level you are fortunate to be here. You could have been killed or seriously injured, or someone else could have been, which would have tragically impacted on the community," he said.

The magistrate said a conviction was warranted but he did not believe a conviction for driving matters would bar MacDonald from becoming a teacher.

MacDonald was also fined $850 with $66.60 costs and his driver's licence was disqualified for 11 months.