A BALLARAT drink-driver has been jailed over a single car accident which almost took his life last year.
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Eamon Rowe, 27, was jailed for two months on Tuesday, with Ballarat Magistrates Court hearing details of his appalling driving record which included high alcohol readings on three separate occasions since 2011.
Rowe was granted appeal bail on Tuesday afternoon and will have his appeal heard in a County Court at a date to be fixed.
Magistrate Cynthia Toose said there was no alternative but jail and said Rowe had continued to "snub" the law, adding it defied belief that he was again caught drink-driving only months after the potentially deadly crash.
The court heard Rowe had driven to Rokewood on November 23 last year for a cricket game.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Michelle Kilburn said Rowe stayed at the club after the game and had a few drinks.
The court heard he later went to a friend's house and continued drinking, before leaving in his car about midnight.
Losing control of his car on a country road, Rowe smashed into several trees and had to be air-lifted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with bleeding on his brain.
A blood sample revealed Rowe had an alcohol reading of 0.08.
The court heard he remained in hospital for eight days.
Senior Constable Kilburn said Rowe was then caught drink-driving in February, this time pulling over and lying to police that he had not been driving. The court heard he had an alcohol reading of 0.107.
Sentencing Rowe, the magistrate said he had another drink-driving conviction from 2011 when he recorded reading of 0.115.
Jeremy Harper, for Rowe, said his client had no memory of the 2013 crash, adding Rowe had a drinking issue for some time.
Mr Harper said Rowe also had significant mental health issues and had recently sought help for drugs and alcohol.
The lawyer said Rowe accepted his offending and had shown remorse by pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity.
Rowe pleaded guilty to charges including drink driving.
Cancelling and disqualifying Rowe's licence for 20 months, Ms Toose said it was lucky no lives were lost.
"You could have killed some innocent members of the community," she said.