A 'well-groomed' Wollongong real estate agent who got 'carried away' at a social gathering has been stripped of his driving licence after being caught behind the wheel of his Audi with cocaine and alcohol in his system.
Jake Riley O'Connor, 30, appeared before Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to a combined charge of driving with a mid-range prescribed concentration of alcohol (PCA) and an illicit drug present in his oral fluid.
According to court documents, highway police stopped O'Connor in his black Audi A5 coupe along Gladstone Avenue in Coniston at approximately 10:45 am on March 14.
Despite his clean business attire and well-groomed appearance, O'Connor recorded a positive roadside alcohol reading and was subsequently arrested. He was taken to Wollongong Police Station where a secondary reading returned 0.130 grams of alcohol per 210 litres of breath.
While in custody, O'Connor told police he had been drinking Hahn Super Dry beers at the Wollongong Golf Club from 5:30 pm the previous afternoon until midnight. A subsequent oral fluid test sent for forensic analysis also returned a positive result for cocaine.
Social circumstances led to poor decision
Defence lawyer Mr Rowney told the court his client had gotten 'carried away in the social circumstances' on the night before his encounter with police.
The court heard O'Connor had an otherwise excellent traffic record, marred only by a single parking ticket, and had completed the Traffic Offenders' Program.
Mr Rowney also noted that O'Connor's career as a real estate agent would be significantly impacted by a loss of his driving licence.
Magistrate urges reflection
Acting Judge Les Mabbutt urged O'Connor to reflect on his alcohol and substance use, pointing to the mid-range reading recorded the morning after his drinking session.
O'Connor was convicted, fined $900, and disqualified from driving for three months. Once his disqualification period ends, he will be required to have an alcohol interlock device installed on his vehicle for one year.
The case serves as a reminder of the serious consequences of drink and drug driving, particularly for professionals who rely on their driving licence for work.
