A North Nowra man who crashed his ute into a bridge and a parked truck and returned a breath reading almost six times the legal limit has lost his licence for seven months and ordered to perform 250 hours of community service.
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Joseph David Leedham, 30, pleaded guilty to high-range drink driving and driving with an expired licence in Nowra Local Court before Magistrate Gabriel Fleming.
Court papers said Leedham was driving a Mitsubishi Triton ute west along Terara Road around 1.20pm on July 29, when it collided heavily with a concrete and steel bridge about 500m east of Ferry Lane, causing significant damage to the structure.
The vehicle then collided with a stationary Hino truck before continuing out of control for another 30 metres before coming to rest in a rural wire fence.
Police said Leedham returned a positive breath test and later a breath reading of 0.291.
Officers also discovered his licence had expired 12 days before.
Court papers said his speech was slurred, eyes were bloodshot, he smelt of alcohol and was unsteady on his feet.
He told officers he had had five or six beers between 10.30am and 12.30pm at the Worrigee Sports Club.
Magistrate Fleming disqualified Leedham for seven months, placed him on a 18-month good behaviour bond, and ordered he perform 250 hours of community service and have an interlock device installed in his car for two years. He was also fined $565 for driving while unlicensed.
