A man who drove his car at 160km/h to surprise his mum for her birthday has been jailed, after pleading guilty in the Ballarat Magistrates Court this week.
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On July 25 last year, police observed Matthew Dunn driving 160km/h in a 100km/h zone on the Glenelg Highway near Skipton.
When intercepted, the man told police he was trying to beat his mother home from her workplace to surprise her on her birthday, as he hadn't seen her for a year and a half.
On October 24 at 3.28pm, the man was stopped driving a Holden Commodore in Hyland Street, Mortlake. He was found to be driving under the influence of alcohol, with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.108.
Dunn admitted to police he had consumed two 375ml cans of Jack Daniels at a barbecue prior to driving, but "didn't think" he was over the limit.
Dunn's defence lawyer said the guilty man was in "dark place" and self-medicating with alcohol because of his depression when he drove while drunk.
She said her client had been fully cooperative with police, and argued Dunn should receive a community correction order with conditions around alcohol rehabilitation and community work orders.
But Magistrate Gregory Robinson disagreed, stating the man had an "atrocious driving record", having already served time in prison for drinking driving.
"Driving at that speed for such a foolish reason as to see your mother on her birthday, any ordinary person's mind wouldn't justify that speeding," told the court. "I am satisfied that the only thing which might send a signal to you is jail. And even jail has not worked in the past."
Dunn received a term of two months imprisonment, with a community corrections order of 18 months.
