A Corrimal man is staring down the barrel of a jail sentence over a drink-driving incident that left multiple people hospitalised.
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Wayne Neville Simpson, 53, was so intoxicated when he got behind the wheel of his Toyota Hilux Surf on the morning of September 16 last year that he hadn't travelled more than a few metres from his Ronald Street home when he failed to negotiate a right-hand turn onto Rothery Street, mounted the kerb and ran over a speed sign post.
Despite the close call, Simpson continued driving along Rothery Street, cruising down the incorrect side of the roadway towards the Memorial Drive intersection.
Just metres from the intersection Simpson's vehicle side-swiped a Toyota Camry waiting at traffic lights, before he proceeded to drive through the red light and into the intersection, where his vehicle crashed into an Alfa Romeo travelling south.
The impact caused Simpson's car to spin into a Holden Captiva also stationed at the traffic lights.
The Captiva was shunted back into a Mitsubishi Lancer waiting behind it.
Several witnesses came to the aid of the Alfa Romeo driver, who was trapped in the vehicle.
Simpson, along with the Alfa Romeo and Holden Captiva drivers, were taken to hospital for treatment and observation.
Simpson admitted to police he'd been drinking before the crash, saying he'd downed about eight ciders the night before, as well as two that morning before hopping in the car.
"I came out of a cross street and turned right down towards the beach [and] the bloody car just took off," he told officers soon after the crash.
"I drove up the driveway and onto the kerb. I hit a car and went through the intersection between two cars.
"I locked it up and spun around and it [the car] stopped."
He was charged with high range drink-driving after a blood analysis revealed a blood alcohol reading of 0.179, more than three times the legal limit.
In court on Tuesday, Simpson's lawyer described the police facts outlining the incident as "pretty horrendous" - a submission endorsed by magistrate David Degnan a few moments later when he told Simpson to prepare himself for a stint behind bars.
"This is the type of high range [drink-driving] matter where a custodial sentence is warranted," he said.
"That sentence is in my mind."
The case has been adjourned to March 20 for a decision.