A PORTLAND man picked up on old warrants this week has been jailed for three months on his sixth drink-driving charge.
Peter Keenan, 44, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court to drink-driving, speeding, driving an unregistered vehicle, unlicensed driving and discharging a missile.
He was jailed for 10 months — three months to be served immediately and seven months to be suspended for two years — disqualified from driving for three years and convicted and fined $1200.
Police alleged that on May 20, 2010, Keenan and his father were at the family home in Mornington.
Keenan had been drinking and he threw a drink container, which missed, at his father after they discussed putting the family home on the market.
On July 17, 2011, Keenan was seen by police officers driving about 80km/h in the 50km/h zone along Bancroft Street, Portland. Police had intercepted Keenan in Victoria Parade and he recorded an alcohol breath test of .17.
He was found to be unlicensed and the vehicle’s registration had expired four days earlier.
Keenan has prior court appearances and last served a jail sentence after breaching a suspended sentence in 2000.
He has not held a driver’s licence since the mid 1990s.
Defence counsel Amanda Chambers said her client had not been in trouble for seven years, he was working two jobs, living with his partner and their children but he had avoided facing up to the driving charges.
She said he had no idea police were looking for him in relation to throwing the drink container at his father, with whom he has severed ties.
Ms Chambers said Keenan now wanted to clean the matters up, although he realised he faced serving a jail term.
Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt said Keenan had an appalling record until seven years ago and he should not have been anywhere near a car, especially when he was more than three times the legal alcohol limit for a fully licensed driver.
He said it was also not acceptable that Keenan had decided to drive when his vehicle was unregistered.
The magistrate said it was Keenan’s sixth drink-driving offence and his seventh charge of driving while disqualified or unlicensed driving.
“Clearly these offences are deserving of a term of imprisonment,” Mr Klestadt said.
“It’s now about nine years since you last served a term of imprisonment.”
