A young driver at Manly
In this Manly mid range drink driving case study, Boorman Lawyers appeared at Manly Local Court on a middle range drink driving offence with a reading of 0.130. The client was 22. He was pulled over at about 5 am on 20 December 2021.
What happened
In the days before the offence, the client had gone through a very emotional and upsetting relationship breakdown. His friends invited him over that night to support him. He arrived late, was given a glass of wine straight away, and spent a fairly uneventful night sitting around talking and drinking wine.
The hours went by, and suddenly it was 4 am. He told Joshua Boorman he had five large glasses of wine, which Josh notes must have been larger than standard drinks to produce a reading of 0.130. He lived only about 10 minutes away, and at about 4 or 5 in the morning he made the terrible decision to drive home.
No aggravating features
He was pulled over for a random breath test. Josh says there was nothing aggravating about the matter: it was the early hours of the morning, with no pedestrians or traffic around, no passengers and only a short distance to drive. He was cooperative with police and showed genuine remorse. Our lawyer describes it as a very poor mistake made at a time when he was emotionally vulnerable.
Preparing for court in this Manly mid range drink driving case study
The client completed the Traffic Offenders Program, which the magistrate received well. Josh says that if he had not done it, the magistrate would have adjourned the matter so he could, as happened with other matters that day.
He also provided good references. He cares full-time for his grandmother and was about to go for his real estate licence. These were the reasons he needed to get back on the road as soon as possible. He had already been off the road for two and a half months.
The outcome
Josh asked for the minimum disqualification of 3 months, which was almost complete. The magistrate agreed. The client received:
- the 3-month minimum disqualification;
- the 12-month interlock program to follow; and
- an $850 fine.
Our lawyer believes the client will learn significant life lessons from the experience and thinks it very unlikely he will be back before the courts.
What this case shows
A mid range reading brings a mandatory interlock order in NSW, but the length of the disqualification can still depend on the circumstances. Here the time already spent off the road, the completed program and his caring responsibilities all helped. Every case is different, and outcomes depend on the facts.
Key general information (NSW)
General information only, not legal advice, as at October 2026. Every case turns on its own facts.
- Drink driving (PCA) offences: In New South Wales most drink driving charges are “prescribed concentration of alcohol” (PCA) offences under the Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW).
- The broad penalty picture: As one example, Transport for NSW lists the maximum court-imposed penalty for a first mid range PCA offence as a fine of $2,200 and up to 9 months’ imprisonment (as at October 2026).
- The Alcohol Interlock Program: A zero alcohol limit applies to all interlock drivers, and a person who receives an interlock order but does not enter the program is disqualified for 5 years.
- Intervention programs and deferred sentencing: Fines in NSW are expressed in penalty units, and the Sentencing Council notes that a penalty unit is currently $110.
- The court process: Drink and drug driving charges in NSW are usually dealt with in the Local Court.
Further reading and related videos
Boorman Lawyers has more on appearing at Manly Local Court, NSW drink driving penalties and the NSW Traffic Offenders Program. Its Sydney site covers drink driving matters across Sydney courts.
On this site, see a Bankstown mid range case at the same reading and a Manly high range case, or browse all NSW and drink driving videos.
For people who are preparing to plead guilty without a lawyer, DIY DUI’s guide to drink and drug driving charges at Manly covers the local court and plea process. (DIY DUI is a self-help program for people preparing their own guilty plea. It is not legal representation and is not part of Boorman Lawyers.)
