A NORTH Albury man has been given a three-month suspended jail sentence over a drink-driving offence which his solicitor said was “born out of stupidity and madness which lasted about 30 seconds”.
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Aaron Blake Sparks appeared for sentencing in Albury Local Court on charges of high-range drink-driving, unlicensed driving and taking and driving a vehicle without consent.
Tendered police documents outlined how Sparks, 20, of Calimo Street, was at home about 8.05pm on November 28 last year and had an argument on the phone with his girlfriend.
He wanted to attended her address and demanded his mother drive him, but she said her vehicle had no petrol.
Sparks took the car keys from a hook in the kitchen, reversed his mother’s 2002 Mitsubishi out and accelerated.
The car hit another vehicle across the street, went through an external fence and struck a second fence.
Sparks could not drive the car as it became stuck.
He waited at the scene until police arrived 30 minutes later and told them: “Arrest me.”
Sparks was holding a half full stubby of beer.
He admitted never having held a licence and his mother made a statement indicating he had no permission to take her car.
Police arrested Sparks and a later breath analysis gave a reading of 0.191.
Sparks said the car went faster in reverse than he thought it would.
Solicitor P.C. Reddy said Sparks made a split second decision to drive.
“Perhaps it was lucky that he did not go any further,” Mr Reddy said.
Magistrate Tony Murray said a pre-sentence report indicates there has been a pattern of binge drinking by Sparks in the past 12 to 18 months.
Sparks was given a suspended sentence, fined $400 and disqualified for 18 months on the drink-driving matter.
He was fined $350 for each of the other two offences.
