A man has arrived at his last stop before jail, a magistrate has warned, after he drove from Orange to Bathurst and his journey came to an abrupt halt in the middle of a tree.
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Corey Blundell, 28, of Bonnor Street, Kelso, pleaded guilty in Bathurst Local Court on May 10, 2023 to high-range drink-driving and licence expired less than two years before.
Blundell was at a birthday party in the Orange area between 9.30pm and 11pm on December 14, 2022 where he had a number of alcoholic drinks, court documents reveal.
He then got behind the wheel of a silver 2003 Honda Jazz and drove from Orange to Rosemont Avenue in Kelso where he fell asleep behind the wheel and crashed into a mailbox, streetlight pole and tree.
The court heard Blundell woke and tried to stop the car but he was too late.
He tried to get out of the car but because of the damage, the door wouldn't open, so instead he climbed out of the driver's window and called his partner.
Nearby neighbours called police and the NSW Ambulance, who each arrived shortly afterward.
Blundell was arrested and taken to Bathurst Police Station after he gave a positive roadside reading for alcohol.
Paramedics took Blundell to hospital where a vial of his blood was taken, which later showed on January 13, 2023 there was no less than 0.199 grams of alcohol in 100 milliliters of blood.
The sentence
Solicitor Evan Dowd told the court his client - Blundell - had been working 12 hour days as a bricklayer and went to Orange for a birthday party where he had about nine beers.
"Alcohol is clearly the issue here ... it relates to deep-seeded trauma issues and unresolved grief," Mr Dowd said.
"Outraged" by Blundell's drink-driving reading, Magistrate D Pearce gave him a reality check and said it was lucky no one was seriously injured or killed.
"I don't know how you didn't run off the road into other cars. You ran the risk of killing someone ... You not only risked your life, but those of innocent people," Mr Pearce said.
"I'm giving you one opportunity to stay out of jail."
Blundell was placed on a community correction order for two years with the condition he undertake 100 hours of unpaid community service work as a "lesson" to him.
He was also fined $2200, disqualified from driving for nine months, and must have an alcohol interlock device installed in his vehicle for 24 months once his licence is returned.
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Jay-Anna Sleeman
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
