The court and the charge
Boggabilla Local Court is a small, old-school courthouse with a real country, outback feel. In this Boggabilla drink driving case study, Joshua Boorman appeared there on a middle range PCA (prescribed concentration of alcohol) charge. The reading was 0.080 — right on the cusp of the mid range — and there was nothing significantly aggravating about the offence itself.
What happened
Our client is originally from West Papua and has lived in Australia for about 20 years. He works locally on farms. On the day of the offence he had been at Lees Reserve, a small camping and fishing spot just outside Goondiwindi, with his two teenage sons, his ex-wife and a mutual friend. He had been drinking from about 11 am until about 4 pm.
He then got into an argument with his ex-wife. Things became tense, and he decided to leave. Joshua describes it as a poor decision fuelled by emotion: he got into his car to drive home.
He drove for about 30 minutes — which slightly aggravates the matter — before he was stopped at a random breath test. (The exact location of the stop is not clear in the recording.)
Factors in his favour
- he was the sole occupant of the vehicle;
- it was not his manner of driving that brought him to police attention — it was a standard RBT;
- there was only light traffic around;
- the reading was at the lower end of the mid range;
- he fully cooperated with police;
- he entered an early plea of guilty and appeared in court with remorse; and
- he completed the Traffic Offender Program.
He lives in Yetman, is divorced, has two teenage children, and works on local farms.
What counted against him
This was his third drink driving offence. He had one about eight years earlier and another about 17 years earlier, both in the low range. As Joshua puts it, it was not his first rodeo.
The magistrate pointed out that, had it not been for those priors, he would have been able to extend significant leniency by not recording a conviction. But he could not look past the two prior offences.
The outcome
- The disqualification was reduced from the automatic period to the minimum period of three months.
- That disqualification was backdated under a section 206B order.
- He was fined $750.
What this Boggabilla drink driving case study shows
A low reading, a short list of aggravating features and good cooperation can bring a penalty down to the minimum, but prior drink driving offences — even old, low range ones — can close the door on a no-conviction outcome. The magistrate made that link clear in this case. Every case depends on its own facts and history.
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 second or subsequent mid range PCA offence as a fine of $3,300 and up to 12 months’ imprisonment (as at October 2026).
- The Alcohol Interlock Program: According to Transport for NSW’s Alcohol Interlock Program page, drivers convicted of mid range, high range, repeat and other serious drink driving offences are required to take part.
- Sentencing options: At the lower end, a court can find an offence proved but not record a conviction, either by dismissing the charge or by making a conditional release order (CRO) without conviction.
Further reading and related videos
Boorman Lawyers has more on appearing at Boggabilla Local Court, NSW drink driving penalties and NSW alcohol interlock laws. Its NSW site covers drink driving matters across regional NSW.
On this site, see a Parramatta mid-range case after a crash and a Picton second mid-range matter, or browse all NSW and drink driving videos.
For people who are preparing to plead guilty without a lawyer, DIY DUI’s Boggabilla page 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.)
