Joseph Dean Lemmich, 20, of Bentinck Street, Bathurst, appeared in Bathurst Local Court before visiting magistrate Bruce Williams charged with driving with a middle-range PCA (second offence).

Police facts tendered to the court told how police were patrolling Bentinck Street on June 27 this year when they noticed a HiLux ute pulling out of a driveway.

They followed the HiLux, noticing that the driver was mostly in the right-hand lane, and pulled the vehicle over after it drove straight through the intersection of William and Russell streets in the CBD.

Police approached the vehicle and the driver provided his driver’s licence number - a current P2 licence. Police told the driver he had been travelling in the right-hand lane at the previous intersection and said he seemed oblivious.

Police asked Lemmich if he had been drinking alcohol, to which he replied, according to the police facts, "a substantial amount".

Police asked how long before driving he had consumed the alcohol and he told police it had been “15 minutes”.

He underwent a roadside breath test, which was positive.

Police told the driver he was under arrest for the purpose of a breath analysis and he was taken to Bathurst Police Station, where he recorded 0.111, placing him in the mid-range category.

The driver told police he had consumed one-and-a-half bottles of an alcoholic cider called Fat Lamb, according to the police facts. 

Each bottle, according to police, is worth eight standard drinks.

Lemmich’s first drink was around 4pm and his last was around 7.50pm.

Magistrate Williams convicted Lemmich, fining him $1200 and disqualifying him from driving for seven months.

Magistrate Williams also placed Lemmich on an interlock order of 24 months.