A METHAMPHETAMINE user who caused a head-on accident in which he suffered significant injuries has been jailed for four months.
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Gregory Raymond Hester, 40, now of Johns Lane, Warrnambool, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court to counts of unlicensed driving and driving an unregistered car.
Those offences breached a three-month suspended jail sentence imposed in September last year for similar driving offences.
At 4.15pm on December 19 last year Hester was driving north along the Old Calder Highway at Diggers Rest when he drifted onto the wrong side of the road and caused a head-on collision.
He had to be rescued from the vehicle and was flown to The Alfred hospital.
Hester returned a reading of .07 to methamphetamine.
He told police when interviewed he had been to a birthday party a couple of days prior to the accident and had used a couple of lines of speed.
On August 15 this year he was intercepted by police at Woodend driving a car while unlicensed a day after the vehicle’s registration expired.
Defence counsel Andrew Tweedly said the accident had been a wake-up call for his client, who had been concreting on an extremely hot day and passed out while driving.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Sandra Skilton said Hester had received court orders in the past and the offending was just more of the same.
“He’s lucky he didn’t kill someone. He took drugs and chose to drive again unlicensed,” she said.
Magistrate John Lesser said the offences late last year happened only two-and-a-half months after the suspended sentence was imposed.
He said only a period of custody was appropriate and general deterrence was a key factor in sentencing.
On top of the four-month jail term, Hester was placed on a 12-month community corrections order to perform 80 hours of community work. He was also fined $1000 and disqualified from driving for 24 months.