A DRUNK driver spent more than three minutes doing burnouts in a residential Ballarat North street before crashing into a gutter and running away, a court has heard.
Timothy Langdon, 20, was almost three times over the blood alcohol limit at the time, and police found him hiding under a tree down the road.
Langdon appeared in Ballarat Magistrates Court yesterday, where he pleaded guilty to drink driving, careless driving and driving a vehicle making unnecessary noise and smoke.
The court heard police were called to the corner of Daintree Close and Norman Street about 2.30am on March 25.
A nearby resident had endured Langdon’s burnouts for more than three minutes when he made the call to police.
Police prosecutor Acting Sergeant Ivan Blomeley said Langdon had eventually lost control of the utility and crashed into a gutter, leaving tyre marks about 20 metres long.
Police arrived and found the vehicle abandoned, but a witness pointed out a house where Langdon had run off to.
Officers found him hiding under a tree with the keys to the ute.
When breath tested, Langdon blew 0.141.
Representing himself in court, Langdon said he had been at The Bluestone nightclub prior to the burnout session, which he carried out alone.
“I’m really sorry for what I’ve done,” he said.
“It was dumb and immature and I’ve abused the privilege of having a license.”
Mr Langdon said he was from South Australia, but had been in Ballarat since shortly before the offending took place.
He said he planned to return home as soon as possible.
Magistrate Peter Couzens said the driving had put lives at risk.
“I’m sure you will understand that this was extremely poor driving,” Mr Couzens said.
“Driving in this fashion, which occurred in a residential area, the hooning was dangerous to you and to those in the vicinity, but also troubling for residents.”
Langdon was fined $1000 with conviction, and was disqualified from driving for 14 months.