A magistrate has told a young man he was lucky to be caught by police instead of seriously injuring or killing himself while driving three times over the legal blood alcohol limit.
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Angus Dunson, 24, was driving in Hamilton when police saw him turn left without an indicator and then pull up in the front yard of a house in May 2020.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Ben Jones said Dunson blew a reading of 0.156 in a breath test.
His licence was immediately suspended and his car was impounded.
Dunson told police he was 'surprised' he was caught, he did it 'all the time' but he never thought it would be him that got caught.
If you had seen what I see working in the Coroners Court... young men drink driving in country areas and single car accidents... you would never do it again.
- Magistrate Michelle Hodgson
Representing himself, Dunson told the court he had only had his licence for about six months before police found him drink driving.
He said he was at a friend's house having drinks and decided to drive to another friend's place about three kilometres away.
Dunson said he was an electrician, so having his licence was important and his boss was picking him up for work while he was disqualified from driving.
Magistrate Michelle Hodgson said she was concerned Dunson told police he drove after drinking 'all the time'.
"If you had seen what I see working in the Coroners Court... young men drink driving in country areas and single car accidents... you would never do it again," she said.
"It is a really serious problem in our community and our regional communities as well.
"There is a campaign at the moment 'the lucky ones get caught'. I don't think a truer word has ever been said in a TAC campaign."
Ms Hodgson said Dunson would not want his life disrupted by serious injury, death or a jail term because of drink driving. Dunson was fined $850 and disqualified from driving for the mandatory period of 15 months.
"I hope you have learnt your lesson and you can reassure your peers drink driving is a serious offence and will be punished by the courts," Ms Hodgson said.
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