A Termeil man has narrowly escaped jail after pleading guilty to high-range drink driving.
Jason Lee Bassett, 46, left his father’s house in Long Beach at 3am on Sunday, June 22, after a family evening watching State of Origin escalated into a conflict.
The business owner’s defence said he had intended to stay the night, however felt leaving was the only way to defuse the situation.
You will be sitting in a cell waiting
- Doug Dick
According to police facts, while driving east along Durras Road, South Durras, Mr Bassett’s ute crossed onto the wrong side of the road on a right hand bend, colliding with trees before stopping. Mr Bassett was trapped, and a passing driver called emergency services.
Mr Bassett was taken to hospital for treatment, and given a blood test, which returned a reading of 0.211.
Mr Bassett had earlier drink driving charges, but his defence claimed, since his last charge in 2003, he had “got his life together”.
Magistrate Doug Dick imposed a sentence of nine months’ imprisonment, to be served as an intensive correction order, with 32 hours per month of community service. He emphasised the severity of the sentence.
“This is a jail sentence – you will be sitting in a cell waiting for the paperwork to be signed,” he said.
He disqualified Mr Bassett’s license for six months, to be followed by two years on an interlock device.
