A mid range PCA at Campbelltown
In this Campbelltown drink driving case study, Joshua Boorman appeared at Campbelltown Local Court for a client charged with a mid range PCA offence. The reading was 0.087, and there was nothing aggravating about the offence. He was stopped at a random breath test, and Joshua describes him as a lovely client who was polite and cooperative with police.
About our client
The client had been going through a lot of personal grief after losing his father in November of the previous year. He had taken steps to address his mental health and grief, and he completed the Traffic Offenders Program.
Joshua says everything was looking good, except for his traffic record.
A charging error
The charge had been categorised as a second offence because of a prior mid range drink driving offence. That earlier offence was about 10 or 11 years before.
Joshua explains that, in his view, police can only categorise a person as a repeat offender where the prior offence was within the last 5 years, so the police had made a mistake. He spoke with the police prosecutor to fix it, so the client was not treated as a repeat offender. Joshua notes that the repeat categorisation would effectively have almost doubled his penalties.
Asking for no conviction
Joshua then boldly asked the court for a section 10 no conviction order, despite the prior mid range offence. The client also had a high range speeding offence about 6 or 7 years earlier, for which he had received the benefit of a section 10 order.
The court took the submissions on board, but refused the request for no conviction because of the prior offence and the client’s poor traffic record.
The outcome
- the minimum disqualification of 3 months, backdated (he had already served a month off the road);
- a $600 fine, which Joshua describes as heavily reduced; and
- the alcohol interlock program for 12 months.
With about 2 months left to serve, he can then go on an interlock licence and get back to his job. Joshua says the client understood that his past traffic record could not be changed, and was happy with the outcome.
What this Campbelltown drink driving case study shows
Checking how a charge has been categorised is an important early step. Here, fixing the repeat-offence label kept the matter in the first-offence range. A no-conviction outcome was not achieved because of the client’s history, but the court imposed the minimum disqualification. Every case is different, and outcomes depend on the facts and the person’s record.
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).
- How repeat offences are treated: Transport for NSW says drivers convicted of 2 drink driving offences within a 5-year period must pass the Driver Knowledge Test before they can be licensed again.
- 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.
- 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 Campbelltown Local Court, NSW drink driving penalties and NSW alcohol interlock laws. Its Sydney site covers drink driving matters across Sydney courts.
On this site, see a Liverpool mid range case after a collision and a Wyong mid range case where an earlier offence was not counted, 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 Campbelltown 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.)
