A highly regarded Lake Illawarra police officer caught drink-driving in the early hours of the morning had been seen swerving on the road in the minutes before he was pulled over.
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Senior Constable Paul Winston told arresting officers he’d drunk six bottles of Corona beer and one can of Canadian Club at a colleague’s retirement party at Dapto on the evening of August 31, before getting in his car and heading south on the Princes Highway.
Highway patrol officers stopped at Haywards Bay said they saw Snr Cst Winston’s Hyundai Tuscon partially veer onto a painted island as it entered the highway about 2.10am.
The officers got in their vehicle and caught up with the Tuscon near the Illawarra Highway turn-off.
They said the car was seen to change from one lane to another without indicating, swerve in the new lane then veer into the break-down lane. Officers stopped the vehicle to discover Snr Cst Winston behind the wheel.
When asked if he’d been drinking, the 44-year-old said he’d finished his last drink “five minutes ago at Dapto Leagues Club”.
He tested positive for alcohol on the roadside breathalyser, prompting police to take him back to Lake Illawarra Police Station for a formal test. There he returned a reading of 0.183 – almost four times the legal limit.
Officers said Snr Cst Winston was co-operative during the arrest process however was slurring his words and unsteady on his feet, leading them to believe he was “well affected” by alcohol at the time.
He had his licence suspended on the spot and was issued with a court attendance notice for a charge of high-range drink-driving.
He chose not to appear in Port Kembla Local Court in person on Tuesday – the first time the matter was listed in court – however his lawyer entered a guilty plea on his behalf.
The case has been adjourned to next Wednesday for sentence and for Snr Cst Winston to enroll in the traffic offender’s program.
The Mercury understands Snr Cst Winston is highly regarded amongst his peers who consider his behaviour that night “totally out of character”.
He has a long track record of involvement in the community including participating in charity boxing events for the PCYC.
His employment status is currently under review.