A magistrate has warned a Dubbo woman she'll end up behind bars after her second high-range drink-driving offence, and ordered her to undertake alcohol counselling.
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April May Sutton, 35, was more than four times the legal limit when police were alerted to a blue ute being driven near Cooinda Crescent in west Dubbo, with the engine revving loudly and the driving yelling from inside the vehicle, on September 2 this year.
About 11pm police spotted the blue Ford falcon driving along Victoria Street, when the officers heard a loud scraping sound, and saw the vehicles suspension dropped at the front of the vehicle.
Police pulled Sutton over and noticed one of the front tyres was flat, and there was damage to the front bumper.
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Following a positive roadside breath test, Sutton was taken back to Dubbo Police Station where she returned an alcohol reading of 0.187 - almost four times the legal limit.
In court documents police said Sutton was "belligerent and argumentative" with officers when she was pulled over, but became compliant and showed signs of remorse when she thought an interlock device may be fitted to her vehicle.
Police said they held "grave concerns" she could be involved in a serious accident where she or a member of the public could be injured or killed.
In Dubbo Local Court, Sutton pleaded guilty to high-range drink-driving.
Defence lawyer Corey Suckling said his client had written a letter of apology to the court, and explained Sutton had experienced issues at home which had a "significant impact" on her, causing her to confide in alcohol.
"She instructs me that throughout the period of offending, the emotional stress had become quite burdensome," he said.
Mr Suckling said Sutton was yelling out of the car as she was outside a friends house and they called out to her, and that the damage to the vehicle occurred before this incident.
"Thankfully no one was injured," he said.
Mr Suckling said while she had been before the court for high-range drink-driving previously, she was someone who had been of good character in the past, and had since completed the traffic offenders program.
However Magistrate Gary Wilson said it was "unacceptable" it was Sutton's second high-range drink-driving charge in a "relatively short period of time".
"Fortunately for you it was dealt with - it certainly wasn't by me - but you received a non-conviction on a high- range PCA which is pretty remarkable for the matter to be dealt with in that fashion," he said.
"The reading is high it's 0.187 which is well above high-range drink-driving."
He warned sentencing guidelines say high-range drink-driving was could result in imprisonment.
"Had there been any damage or injuries sustained to anyone as a result of your driving that's where you'd be going," Magistrate Wilson.
"Fortunately the only thing you wrecked was your car."
Sutton was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order disqualified from driving for six months, fined $500 and ordered to install an interlock device for 24 months.
Magistrate Wilson also ordered she attend drug and alcohol counselling.