Russian roulette: drink-drivers gamble with lives

LAW-ABIDING south-west motorists are playing Russian roulette with their lives every day as morons continue to drink and drive.In a chilling example of just how the drink-driving message is being ignored, eight motorists caught over the limit were fined more than $10,000 in a Warrnambool court yesterday.Exasperated magistrate Jonathan Klestadt was left shaking his head, saying the community had been pounded with the drink-driving message for the past 10 years."I'm dismayed at the number of people coming before the court on drink-driving," he said."What's it going to take before young people realise they are not immortal and cannot take these risks?"Several of those before the court yesterday were probationary drivers and one was still on L-plates.Another was picked up after crashing his car while unlicensed because of an earlier drink-driving offence.Mr Klestadt told the defendants they were a risk to themselves and others and that they were lucky to be appearing before him rather than being in a cemetery, rehabilitation or waiting to go to jail after causing death on the road.His warning of the dangers posed by drink-drivers was later echoed by Chief Inspector Wayne Chatters, of Warrnambool police. He said most people were aware of the laws but some still chose to break them and place others at risk."Police will continue to use enforcement as well as we can with the resources we have,'' he said. Cases heard yesterday included:* Christopher Dylan McCormack, 20, of Hopkins Falls Road, Cudgee: drink-driving (.063), driving while disqualified - fined $2500 with $66.60 costs, licence cancelled for 15 months.* Veneet Kumar Bhagat, 29, of Cullen Court, Caroline Springs: Drink-driving (.18) and careless driving — convicted and fined $1250, with $66.60 costs, licence cancelled for 24 months.* Jonathan McConnell, 20, of Mortlake Road, Noorat: Drink-driving (.181) — fined $900 with $66.60 costs, disqualified from driving for 18 months.* Robert Meade, 19, of Princes Highway, Garvoc: Drink-driving (.121). Fined $700 and $66.60 costs, disqualified from driving for 12 months.* Gregory Hill, 43, of Peter Street, Warrnambool: Drink-driving (.158) — fined $850 with $66.60 costs, licence cancelled for 15 months.* Stuart Ivermee, 32, of Nina Street, Dennington: Drink-driving (.090), careless driving — fined $1000 in total with $66.60 costs, disqualified from driving for six months.* Aaron Desmond Searle, 24, of Cramer Street, Warrnambool: Drink-driving x 2 (.14), (.112), unlicensed driving x 2, careless driving — fined $3200, licence disqualified for 18 months.* Christopher Stephen Couch, 41, of Lava Street, Warrnambool: Drink-driving (.171) — fined $2500 with $66.60 costs, licence cancelled for 34 months. Mr Klestadt said he was stunned that McCormack, a P-plater, drank and drove just a couple of months after being put off the road for the same offence. Defence counsel for Veneet Bhagat, Pat McComish, said his client realised he was extremely fortunate to be avoiding an immediate term in prison. ‘‘You can pick up The Standard on many Monday mornings and someone has been killed — it happened today,’’ he said. The court heard that Aaron Searle was twice caught drink-driving on September 10.