Robert McGrandles had drunk 15 bottles of beer in 12 hours before he failed to make a right-hand turn in central Albury.

He crashed into a pole.

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Defence lawyer Mark Cronin told Albury Local Court magistrate Miranda Moody on Monday that McGrandles, 57, remained in rehabilitation.

When that was completed in about six weeks' time he will have spent six months receiving treatment.

"This man clearly has a long-standing problem with alcohol," Mr Cronin said.

"To his great credit, at his age he's chosen to address his problem.

"He's doing really well."

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Mr Cronin said that time spent in a rehabilitation centre - in Wagga's Calvary centre - was, in effect, a "quasi-custodial sentence".

He said this added weight to his submission that it would be best if McGrandles' sentence was dealt with by way of a community corrections order.

McGrandles previously pleaded guilty to a charge of driving with a high-range prescribed concentration of alcohol.

His blood alcohol limit was more than five times the legal limit at 0.263.

McGrandles' case had been adjourned to Monday to allow for an update on his progress in the rehabilitation program.

Police came across McGrandles standing beside his car after the failed attempt to turn into Hume Street, Albury, from David Street on April 22 about 11pm.

Prosecutor Sergeant Andrew Pike said McGrandles' offending was aggravated by his high blood alcohol reading and the crash.

"I would be submitting the threshold (for a jail sentence) has been crossed," Sergeant Pike said.

But Ms Moody told Mr Cronin she would not be taking that course.

She placed McGrandles on an 18-month community corrections order requiring him to continue treatment, fined him $1000 and disqualified him from driving for 12 months.

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