Drink-driver fined

Payne’s driving was so bad though that Albury police soon received a complaint.

Police knew they had their man when they stopped and arrested Payne, who was on the booze, after he careered his Kia down a bike and pedestrian path.

Payne appeared in the dock in Albury Local Court on Thursday morning after his arrest the previous afternoon.

The 54-year-old promptly pleaded guilty through his solicitor, James Sloan, to driving with a high-range prescribed concentration of alcohol and to driving on a road without ever having had a licence.

He had a blood alcohol reading of 0.156 after drinking six cans of beer in eight hours.

Magistrate Tony Murray was about to deal with the charges when he raised concerns about Payne’s record.

While the court had information about Payne never having had a NSW driver’s licence, his Victorian record was sketchy.

Mr Sloan said he understood Payne – of no fixed address, though he had been staying at a Pemberton Street property – had drink-driving convictions in Victoria, possibly from around 2006.

Payne too offered up some ideas on his record, even throwing in some irrelevant detail about an assault matter from Melbourne.

But Mr Murray cut him short, briefly adjourning the matter while his driving record was obtained from Victoria Police.

This revealed Payne was convicted of drink-driving and unlicenced driving in 2009, of unlicensed driving in 1991 and had not held a licence in Victoria for more than 20 years.

Mr Murray was told that the Albury Highway Patrol officers were in Pemberton Street on Thursday at 3.33pm when they saw Payne’s vehicle in a Horseshoe Lagoon car park.

Payne then drove away off, his car – with several damaged panels – found soon after on the path.

Payne was convicted, fined $1400 and disqualified from holding a NSW licence for 12 months.