A P-PLATER who clipped an onlooker while drink-driving and doing “circle work” in a car park near the mouth of the Hopkins River and has been fined $2750.
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Luke Robertson, 20, of Balmoral Road, Warrnambool, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court yesterday to drink-driving, driving in a manner dangerous and causing a vehicle to lose traction.
As well as the conviction and fine, Robertson also lost his driver’s licence for 26 months.
Police said that between 9pm and 9.30pm on December 19 last year Robertson was at the Point Ritchie car park consuming alcohol. He then got into a Holden Commodore and spun it in circles, which caused skid marks and smoke.
There were between eight and 10 people watching, and one man was struck by the back end of the vehicle but was not injured.
Robertson also crashed into an embankment which damaged the front bumper of the car.
Police arrived, and the P-plater later recorded an evidentiary breath test of .132 despite having a zero limit.
In June this year, Robertson was interviewed by police. He admitted he drove, had been drinking and did the burnouts after being asked to do so by the vehicle’s owner.
Defence counsel Helen Shalders said her client had been involved in an act of stupidity committed over a very short period of time and thankfully no one had been injured.
She said Robertson and his friends had been at the beach that day drinking beer and he got into the Commodore after someone else failed to do a burnout.
His driver’s licence was suspended on the day of the incident.
Robertson has prior convictions for serious driving offences including drink-driving.
Magistrate John Lesser told Robertson to say it was an act of stupidity was to understate the incident.
He said the defendant did hit someone and anything could have happened.
The magistrate warned Robertson if he came back to court charged with another serious driving offence he could expect a jail sentence to be imposed.
