“I’M living in a tent in a paddock. I’ve lost my job and family. What else is there to lose?”
“I’M living in a tent in a paddock. I’ve lost my job and family. What else is there to lose?”
A 46-year-old man facing a charge of drug-driving was remorseful and emotional when he represented himself before Magistrate Andrew Eckhold.
Dubbo Local Court heard Gavin William Kelly was stopped for a random breath test in Bourke Street at 9.49am on April 4.
He returned a negative result for alcohol and a positive reading for cannabis.
Kelly pleaded guilty to driving with an illicit drug in his bloodstream.
He declined to see prosecution documents tendered to the court.
“The documents are no good to me because I can’t read,” Kelly said.
“I don’t have a problem with cannabis. I had been to a family reunion. It was one of those things – I haven’t touched the drug before in my life.”
Magistrate Eckhold asked Kelly why he lost his job.
“I was working as an offsider for a drilling contractor,” he said.
“I had high blood pressure and when I got a certificate saying I was able to return to work there was no longer a job for me.”
Kelly declined to do a traffic offender education program.
“I am using all my time looking for a job,” he said.
Magistrate Eckhold said the program would be difficult to undertake when Kelly was unable to read.
“You are living in a tent in a paddock and have no job. How are you getting food?” the magistrate asked.
Kelly said his son was “helping him out”.
Prosecution facts tendered to the court said Kelly was co-operative and compliant with police.
He had a limited criminal history and was seeing a doctor for depression.
Magistrate Eckhold imposed a $150 fine and disqualified Kelly from driving for three months.
Man loses licence after drug-driving incident
No comments:
Post a Comment