A 63-year-old driver was more than four times over the legal blood alcohol limit when he collided with a car at a Sebastopol intersection, a court has been told.
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Harry Sutherland, of Buninyong, failed to give way at the Clarkson-Rubicon streets intersection on October 22, 2016.
He collided with another car, causing it to spin out of control and hit a power pole head-on, the Ballarat Magistrates Court was told on Thursday.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sam Young said police officers who arrived at the scene found two empty bottles of alcohol in Sutherland's car.
Full bottles of alcohol were also found.
Senior Constable Young said paramedics took Sutherland to hospital where a blood test showed a BAC reading of 0.228.
Sutherland told police he did not see a give-way sign at the intersection.
Defence lawyer David Tamanika said his client was dealing was a significant family issue at the time of the incident.
He said Sutherland had not been a drinker for some time.
Magistrate John Murphy told Sutherland the car collision could have been a fatality.
He convicted and fined Sutherland $2000 with $119 to pay in court costs.
Sutherland's driver's licence was disqualified for 22 months.