A drink-driver was caught after he drove to a police station to report another matter, a court has heard.
James McDonald, 21, formerly of Mooroopna, pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to drink-driving.
Prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Deryn Boote told the court McDonald drove to Shepparton Police Station at 12.08am on January 27.
The police officer at the front counter thought he “had a very strong smell of alcohol” about him and breath-tested McDonald, who is a P-plater.
He recorded a blood alcohol concentration of 0.11 — more than twice the legal amount for a fully licensed driver.
McDonald’s ute was impounded for 30 days and his licence was taken off him immediately.
McDonald’s defence solicitor Bree Zito told the court her client had been at Australia Day celebrations and had gone to the police station to report a crime he had seen and to stop from being assaulted.
Ms Zito told the court McDonald’s mental health was deteriorating because of the charge, and it was not lost on him that his biological mother had lost her life to a drink driver when McDonald was an infant.
She told the court McDonald now lived with his grandparents — who had brought him up — at a “remote property” about 30km from Benalla and had lost his job after he lost his licence because he could not get to work.
In fining McDonald $375, magistrate Amina Bhai said she had modified the fine because of McDonald’s financial circumstances.
“You’re still a young person, but there are risks of being young and driving, and in combination with alcohol, there are real risks,” Ms Bhai said.