Barry Collier, 31, banned from driving for four years

Barry Collier, 31, pleaded guilty in the Hamilton Magistrates Court on Wednesday, September 27, to failing to accompany a police officer to provide an evidentiary sample of breath for alcohol analysis.

Police told the court at 1.30am on September 11 last year officers intercepted a Holden Commodore ute in Russell Street at Casterton.

After a preliminary breath test, Collier declined to accompany police for an evidentiary test.

He was warned of the repercussions and the mandatory licence cancellation that would follow.

Collier said there was no point going to the Casterton police station because he was going to lose his licence and an alcohol interlock would be put in any vehicle he drove in future.

The driver has a prior three-month licence suspension for driving under the influence during March in 2017.

Collier said he should not have been driving, he was drunk and stupid and he was a shearer who did not work for four months a year.

Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge fined Collier $750 licence and cancelled his licence for the minimum mandatory period of four years.

He said Collier was not the first shearer to appear in court on similar charges and it was fortunate shearing contractors at times provided transport for their employees.

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