What happened
This Parramatta mid range PCA case study was a middle range drink driving matter at Parramatta Local Court, with a blood alcohol reading of 0.140 and a single-vehicle accident.
At the time, our client was going through the breakdown of his five-year marriage. Late in May 2025 he went, uncharacteristically, to the Westmead tavern and drank alone. He had his first drink around 11 pm and his last around 1 am, and says he drank four double-shot Jim Beam bourbon and cokes in that two-hour period. The double shots raised his blood alcohol reading quickly.
He said his transport options were limited. As Joshua Boorman points out, that may have been true, but he was the one who chose to drive to the pub, drink and then drive home late at night.
The crash
He did not get far — about 800 metres. At around 1:20 am he was momentarily distracted, veered off the road and crashed into a traffic light, writing off his car and knocking the light over.
Much to his credit, and unusually, he got out and called emergency services himself. When they arrived he admitted he had been drinking and that he was the driver, and he cooperated with police. He had whiplash, bruising and a sore ankle and was taken to Westmead Hospital for minor treatment, where a blood sample was taken. The result came back in June at 0.140. He was charged then, and his licence was suspended from June. He pleaded guilty at Parramatta Local Court.
A difficult history
His traffic record made things harder. Between 2005 and 2010 he had a low range drink driving offence, a disqualified driving offence and a drug driving offence, and he was declared a habitual traffic offender, which kept him off the road for five years.
Since 2010 — the last 15 years — he had only a handful of minor traffic infringements. That improvement coincided with him settling down, maturing, marrying and starting his own business in the air conditioning trade.
He also had a criminal history: some serious drug dealing offences about six years earlier. He did not go to jail for those, and he was not subject to any bond, parole or corrections order, so nothing could be called up. As Joshua explains, in drink driving matters the court focuses more on the person’s traffic record.
Parramatta mid range PCA case study: how Joshua Boorman presented the case
We presented his case to the court in the strongest possible way, relying on:
- the significant improvement in his traffic record over 15 years;
- that this offence was a backward step during a very trying period with his marriage breakdown;
- completion of the Traffic Offender Program;
- good references; and
- a good letter of apology.
The outcome
Joshua describes the result as very positive. The court imposed:
- a $750 fine;
- the minimum disqualification of three months, backdated, leaving about a month to serve; and
- the mandatory alcohol interlock program for 12 months.
There was no community corrections order or community service order. The matter did not cross the section 5 threshold, where a jail term such as a suspended sentence or an intensive correction order could have been considered.
Joshua describes it as a very good, sensible outcome: the reading was high in the mid range, the accident was serious, and his early record was poor, even if dated. The client was very happy and has a clear path forward.
What this case shows
Aggravating features like a crash and a high mid-range reading do not automatically mean a harsh result. A long period of improvement on a traffic record, responsible conduct after the crash, and solid preparation can all be put before the court. Every case is different and depends on its own 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: For a first mid range PCA offence, Transport for NSW lists a disqualification of 3 to 6 months, followed by an interlock period of 12 months.
- 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 Parramatta Local Court, NSW alcohol interlock laws and NSW drink driving penalties. Its Sydney site covers drink driving matters across Sydney courts.
On this site, see a Boggabilla mid-range case 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 guide to drink and drug driving charges at Parramatta 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.)
Read the video transcript
It's Josh Boorman from Boorman Lawyers. I'm just outside Parramatta uh local court. Today I've appeared on a middle range drink driving offence. Um now today I'm going to go through the facts of the matter um and explain to you how it all came about. um the bit preparation in um what our client we advised our client to do, what he actually went and did and the surprising outcome that our client actually got for this particular outcome today. Um so as mentioned it was a middle- range drink driving offence.
Uh it was a 0.140 blood alcohol reading and our client was involved in a single vehicle accident. Basically, the facts of the matter were that the incident actually occurred around 1:20 a.m. in late May 2025. Um, our client had been going through quite an emotional period of time. He was going through a marriage breakdown from his wife of the last 5 years and um he uh uncharacteristically went to the Westmead uh tavern and drank alone. Uh he had his first drink around 11 p.m. His last drink around 1 a.m.
Uh in that 2hour period he says he consumed um four double shot Jim Beam bourbon and cokes. Um so double shots obviously increased the alcohol content and quickly rose his blood alcohol reading. He said his uh transport options were limited. Uh which they probably were, but I mean he he he is the one that put himself in that situation where he decided to drive to the the pub uh have some drinks and um it was quite late at night. Uh so he did make that poor decision to drive home.
He didn't make it far. Only about 800 m down the road. He uh momentarily got distracted. He veered off the side of the road and ended up crashing into a traffic light. um completely total his car and um and knocked over the traffic light. So um much to his credit however which is quite unusual in these circumstances is a client actually got out and uh on his own volition he was the one that called emergency services. So they arrived a short time later and um he admitted to drinking admitted to being the driver of the vehicle.
He cooperated with police. Uh he was suffering some whiplash and bruising and a sore ankle. He was transferred to Westmead uh hospital where he was uh given some minor treatment but blood sample was taken and it eventually came back in June with 0.140 blood alcohol content reading. So he was charged at the time his licence was suspended from June when he was uh the charge was laid and uh we appear before the court today at Parramatta local court where a plea of guilty was entered. Um now to make matters a little bit tricky and worse for him.
Um his traffic record was not great. um between 2005 through to 2010, he had a low-range drink drive, a disqualified drive, a drug drive, and was declared a habitual traffic offender. He had to spend 5 years off the road due to that um declaration. And uh however, since 2010, the last 15 years, he's only got a handful of more minor traffic infringements. So over time, over the last 15 years, certainly his um his traffic record has improved and this has probably coincided with him settling down, maturing, um uh getting married, starting his own business in the air conditioning trade.
Um in saying that, maturing maybe on the road, but not quite in relation to his criminal history. Um it was only 6 years ago. He had some pretty serious drug dealing um offences on his record. He didn't get any jail time, but he was not today subject to any bonds, parole, or corrections orders. So, um nothing could be called up in that regard. And to be honest, in relation to drink driving offences, uh more of a focus is put on the person's traffic record. So, as I presented to the court, you know, in his earlier days, it was a pretty average record, but over the last 15 years, um, it has certainly improved out of sight.
Um, this was obviously a backward step for him going through a trying period with the marriage breakdown. He went and did the traffic offenders program. He got some good references, a good letter of apology, and um, and we presented the court well today in strong in the strongest possible way. Um to be honest, today's outcome was uh a very positive one for our client. Um he was given a $750 fine. He was given the minimum disqualification of 3 months. That was backdated. So he's got about a month left to serve.
Uh he will have to do the u mandatory alcohol interlock program for 12 months and that was it. There was no other community corrections orders, uh, community service orders, and certainly it didn't, um, it wasn't raised up to a level of, uh, crossing a section 5 um, jail threshold where suspended sentence or intensive corrections order could have been uh, issued. I mean, the matter was aggravated. It was a high reading in the mid-range. Uh, it was quite a serious accident. And um even though it's quite dated, he does have quite a poor traffic record in the early days, but um a very good sensible outcome uh today.
Uh our client's very happy. He has a clear path moving forward and uh uh fingers crossed that we don't see him back before the criminal justice system again. Thanks for tuning in here out at Parramatta Local Court.
General information only, based on New South Wales law at the time of filming. Not legal advice — every case turns on its own facts. Past results don't guarantee future outcomes.
