FORMER mayor Gary Rush may be about to face more police charges after he fronted court for drink driving on Monday.
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Rush, 62, blew a low-range reading of 0.066 after he was stopped by police on Panorama Avenue about 11.30pm on February 24.
Three days later he resigned from his role as Bathurst Regional Council mayor.
Rush pleaded guilty to drink driving when he appeared before magistrate Michael Allen in Bathurst Local Court, however police facts from the night are now in dispute.
The court heard that Rush may have also been speeding, however, police have not charged him with this offence.
Mr Allen acknowledged this case would “attract significant media attention”, and if Rush was speeding it would be “a far more serious offence”.
He said he would not proceed with the case while the facts were in dispute and said he would not allow his or his court’s judicial process to be criticised.
“This [speeding] suggests an entirely separate offence. The only charge I have is a low range PCA,” Mr Allen said.
“I am not comfortable with proceeding on that basis with the prosecution saying they can no longer rely on these facts.”
Mr Allen acknowledged Rush had recorded no major driving offences since he started driving in 1972.
The case has now been adjourned to next month.
Rush’s solicitor Shane Cunningham applied for court costs for Monday’s appearance but Mr Allen reserved his decision until the next appearance in April.