A MAN who was caught driving a drunken mate home while his licence was suspended has avoided a conviction.
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Jayden Edward Thornbury, 19, of Boyd Street, Kelso, appeared before Bathurst Local Court on Wednesday, August 30, where he pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle while his licence was suspended.
Documents before the court revealed that Thornbury was pulled over by police around 1am on July 21 at Kelso.
Thornbury was honest and forthcoming with police about his licence being suspended, saying he was driving home an intoxicated mate.
Police ran background checks on his licence and it showed that he was due to get it back in one month (August 22), at the time he was pulled over.
When at court, he was represented by Kayana Theobold, who told the court that he was disability worker and that he was driving home his mate who had a history of poor mental health and there was a concern of self-harm.
Ms Theobold told the court that the accused went to someone in a crisis but, with hindsight, it was "not the right decision".
She described the accused as "caring in nature" and "community focused".
Magistrate Clare Farnan said the decision made by Thornbury was a "conscious decision but an usual circumstance confirmed by his references".
Thornbury was handed a Conditional Release Order for a period of 12 months commencing on August 30, 2023. He avoided a conviction, but will be required back before the court if he re-offends in that time.
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