A MAN caught riding his motorbike with a blood alcohol reading four times the legal limit has been jailed for nine months, to be served as an intensive corrections order.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Michael Berrisford, 47, of Montavella Road, Gormans Hill, appeared before Bathurst Local Court charged with driving with a high-range PCA (second-plus offence).
He was stopped by police on June 24 at Kelso and later recorded a reading of 0.225 at Bathurst Police Station.
The court heard police were driving down Marsden Lane when they saw a motorcycle ride about two metres past a stop sign into the lane.
IN OTHER NEWS AROUND BATHURST:
Police sounded their horn and applied their brakes to avoid a collision. Berrisford braked and attempted to put two feet on the ground, but fell, and the bike landed on top of him, according to the police facts.
Police approached Berrisford, lifted the motorcycle off him and noticed an empty beer bottle on the ground beside him.
Berrisford indicated he was okay to police and said he would be on his way, but police asked him to remain while they conducted a breath test, according to the police facts.
Berrisford said he was fine and would be leaving, but was directed to remain for the breath test. Police noticed his speech was slurred and he lacked balance and co-ordination.
When his roadside breath test was positive, he was placed under arrest and driven to Bathurst Police Station, where he was entered into custody.
A breath analysis returned 0.225 and, as a result of the high range reading, police suspended his driver's licence on the spot.
Asked about his consumption of alcohol, Berrisford was unable to recall when or how much he had been drinking, according to the police facts.
He told police he had been taking prescription medication.
Magistrate Cate Follent convicted Berrisford, imprisoning him from September 9, 2019 to June 15, 2020, to be served as an intensive corrections order. He was also disqualified from driving for nine months and placed on a 48-month interlock order.
