A high-range drink-driving teenager detected after police pulled him over for speeding through Lavington claimed he had only had two drinks, a court has heard.
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Aliki Ritalau Hussain told arresting police he downed two cans of bourbon and cola over five hours, plus a meal of KFC.
But the P1 licence holder clearly showed signs of being well over the blood alcohol limit, as was demonstrated when submitting to testing by police.
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He provided a reading of 0.163, but as a provisional licence holder he should not have had any alcohol in his system.
"It's quite a high reading," defence lawyer Bronte Winn said in Albury Local Court, "but it's the only matter on his record."
Magistrate Richard Funston was not impressed.
"Well, Mr Hussain has got an alcohol problem (with such a reading)," he said.
"You need to have some alcohol counselling Mr Hussain, you know that."
Hussain, 19, of Culcairn, pleaded guilty to driving with a high-range prescribed concentration of alcohol and also to a charge of not complying with his licence by failing to display P-plates.
The court was told how police in the driveway of a service station on Wagga Road, Lavington, on June 5 at 9pm saw a white Ford Ranger dual-cab utility heading north "well in excess of the 60km/h limit".
Police turned on to Wagga Road and activated their warning lights and sirens, leading to Hussain eventually pulling over.
They noticed Hussain's eyes were glazed and could smell alcohol in his ute.
Hussain was put on a 12-month community corrections order with a condition he undertake alcohol counselling, lost his licence for six months and was convicted and fined $200.
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