High on crystal meth, a paranoid and delusional Adam Michael Kempt thought he was being chased by 30 bikies from the Hells Angels motorcycle gang.
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Kempt, 23, who was behind the wheel of a Honda Accord sedan at the time, drove on the wrong side of the Princes Highway at Albion Park Rail to avoid being ‘‘caught’’ by the imaginary bikies.
His erratic behaviour on April 19 resulted in Kempt, of Basin View, being charged with driving his car in a manner dangerous, driving under the influence of drugs, and not giving his particulars to another driver.
Kempt, of Tallyan Point Road, pleaded guilty and was convicted of the three charges in Wollongong Local Court yesterday.
Tendered police facts revealed that Kempt was travelling in a northerly direction along the Princes Highway about 2.50pm.
Just south of the Macquarie Rivulet Bridge, police saw Kempt driving his car north in the southbound lanes.
He later admitted to crossing a gap in the median strip after noticing that the northbound traffic was heavy.
Kempt’s actions caused two heavy vehicles to lock their brakes to avoid collision with his car.
He then moved from the southbound lanes into the breakdown shoulder, continuing to drive in the wrong direction.
His car was ‘‘sandwiched’’ between a heavy vehicle and an Armco guardrail.
After the collision, Kempt failed to stop and continued to drive northbound along the Princes Highway, taking an on-ramp into Hayward’s Bay, still travelling in the wrong direction.
The facts sheet said he stopped his car in front of a residential home and told the occupants to call the police because he was being chased by the Hells Angels motorcycle gang.
Police arrived a short time later and found Kempt in a ‘‘paranoid and on edge’’ state.
He admitted to smoking crystal meth (methamphetamine) with a glass pipe about midday that day.
Magistrate Doug Dick fined Kempt $2000 and disqualified him from driving for 18 months on the dangerous driving charge.
For driving under the influence of drugs, he was disqualified from driving for 12 months and fined $1000. He was fined a further $500 on the third charge.
The court heard that Kempt had gone ‘‘cold turkey’’ with the use of illicit drugs since the incident. He had also completed the Serious Traffic Offenders Program (STOP).
Mr Dick was told that Kempt was of good character and that his actions on the day were out of character.
‘‘In relation to this matter I’m pleased to see it has been a lesson and that drugs are not a part of your future,’’ Mr Dick said to Kempt.