A truck driver with a "terrible" driving record was yesterday warned he was en route to jail unless he stopped breaking the law.
Daniel Ronald Skerritt fronted court after adding drink-driving to his list of offences, which included menacing driving, speeding, "doing burnouts and not stopping at stop signs".
Magistrate Michael Stoddart said the Wollongong man should have known better than downing four or five bourbon and cokes before getting behind the wheel of his sedan. His "double plus" reading of 0.116 showed the 26-year-old was not "getting smarter as he gets older".
"If this continues ... you are going to end up in custody, your traffic record is terrible," Mr Stoddart told Skerritt, who pleaded guilty to the mid-range PCA. "You've got to wake up to yourself, you are pushing the limits ... if you come back before the court, the maximum penalty for this sentence is two years' jail.
"This is your livelihood, you are a truck driver yet you are drinking and driving," Mr Stoddart said.
"You won't be driving trucks in this state or anywhere in Australia, do you understand? You should have known better, you are putting people's lives at risk, that's the bottom line."
Skerritt told Wollongong Local Court his decision to drive on February 23 was "a silly mistake".
He was stopped for a random breath test on Five Islands Road.
"It was just a mistake on the night," Skerritt said.
"I never drink and drive, it was a one-off thing. I've attempted to keep my driving record intact for some years."
Skerritt, of Park Street, was fined $1500 plus $83 court costs and disqualified from driving for 10 months. At the time of the offence, he was on a nine-month good behaviour bond for a separate offence. The bond was revoked and a new 12-month good behaviour bond was imposed.
Skerritt was also fined $1000 for breaching the initial bond.