A young plumber who made a "dumb" decision to give a mate a ride on a scooter at Oak Flats while plastered and not wearing a helmet was so drunk he thought he was in a town some 90km away.
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Jack Willett, 18, had downed seven stubbies of beer when he got on the scooter just before dawn on May 17 intending on giving a friend a lift around the corner.
Police stopped the pair at the roundabout at the intersection of Pioneer Road and Central Avenue after seeing them riding the scooter without helmets.
Willett, who seemingly had no idea how to turn the scooter off, was asked if he had a licence, to which he responded "no".
Police said he appeared very unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred and slow and he reeked of alcohol.
He initially claimed he'd only had a few drinks, however later admitted to drinking seven beers at a friend's house party the night prior.
When questioned about the location of the party, Willett thought he was in Campbelltown, some 90kms away from Oak Flats.
He was taken to Lake Illawarra Police Station and subjected to a breath analysis, which returned a reading of 0.186.
Checks on the police system revealed Willett had never held a driver's licence and had two prior charges for driving without a licence.
He was subsequently charged with high-range drink driving, driving without a licence, riding without a helmet with a passenger without a helmet and using a vehicle with altered number plates.
Willett pleaded guilty to the charges in Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday, with is lawyer, Harry Lollback describing his client's actions as "young and dumb".
"It was a spur of the moment decision that will have a lasting impact on him into the future," he said.
The court heard Willett had the support of his family, especially his mother who was currently getting up at 5am six days a week to drive her son to his boss' place so he could continue working as an apprentice plumber.
Magistrate Jillian Kiely handed Willett a total of $2,860 in fines and banned from holding a licence for 12 months, finding he was genuine in his remorse.