NEW SOUTH WALES

DUI Lawyer Downing Centre Court Sydney: Low Range PCA Court Report

By Joshua Boorman · Published · NSW posts

In shortIn Episode 26 of the Boorman Lawyers Court Report Show, we take a look at a low range drink driving offence that our DUI Lawyer Downing Centre appeared on at the Downing Centre Local Court in the Sydney CBD. Our Downing Centre DUI Lawyer appeared on a low range drink driving offence with a blood alcohol reading of 0.077.

  • Low Range DUI Offence at DCLC
  • DUI Character References
  • Personal concerns

New South Wales law · law checked 21 Oct 2026

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DUI Lawyer Downing Centre Court Sydney: Low Range PCA Court Report
What's on this page

In Episode 26 of the Boorman Lawyers Court Report Show, we take a look at a low range drink driving offence that our DUI Lawyer Downing Centre appeared on at the Downing Centre Local Court in the Sydney CBD.

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DUI Lawyer Downing Centre Court Sydney: Low Range PCA Court Report

Low Range DUI Offence at DCLC

Our Downing Centre DUI Lawyer appeared on a low range drink driving offence with a blood alcohol reading of 0.077. In New South Wales, the low range category is between 0.050 and 0.080. So at 0.077, my client was certainly at the top end of the low range category.

DUI Character References

A lot of work was put into this matter. We got some really good references. One from our client’s wife, his mother-in-law, work colleague. We also put a lengthy and strong letter of apology to the Court from our client.

Personal concerns

Our client works in banking. A large concern of his was how a conviction would affect his employment going forward but that was secondary to the concerns he had about losing his license for up to 6 month as he is the main driver of his vehicle since his wife doesn’t drive. He does have three young children. Also, cares for his mother-in-law. Our client also has health problems. So these were all very real concerns that we put before the Court today.

Events leading to the offence

On the night of the offence when he was caught, he had gone up to a friend’s place. He made plans to drive into the city to have dinner with the friend however those plans had been cancelled at the last minute. However, at the time he was over at another friend’s place over at Ermington, my client lives at Waverley and he was pulled over for the purpose of stationary random breath test in Redfern.

That was one big issue that the Magistrate really got caught up on was the fact that between where he was at Ermington to where he was driving to his place at Waverley, and pulled over at Redfern, there was quite a significant distance that he had driven that night whilst he was obviously under the influence of alcohol.

Apart from that, there were no other significant aggravating features involved. He was the only person at the time. It was a random breath test. It was quite late at night so there was a minimal traffic on the road.

Length of driving distance whilst under the influence

But the Magistrate did get caught up on the issue that he had driven quite a significant distance and it wasn’t just down the road to the local shops or anything similar. So, the level of risk in potentially having an accident or causing injury or harm to someone was increased due to the fact that he had driven quite a significant distance. So, that was one issue that the Magistrate that I could turn on to the other.

Prior traffic record & traffic offenders program

The issue where our client was his traffic record, it was the first drink driving offence he’s ever been involved with but of the period of about 20 years, he does have about 15 entries on his record or bit relatively minor infringements except for a couple of high range speed. And in the last 5 to 10 years, he did have a lot better record with only a couple of entries.

However, his prior record was not unblemished. There were quite a lot of entries there and certainly that didn’t work in his favor either.

We got to our client to go along to a traffic offenders program instead of certainly waiting our client’s favor and showed that he has taken full steps to re-educate himself on driver safety.

DUI sentencing issues

Today, we were pushing for a Section 10(1)(b), which is a Good Behaviour Bond with no conviction and no disqualification.

Unfortunately, the Magistrate wasn’t of the view that he was going to give a Section 10 today. He did make comments before the Court that the case could not have been more prepared and that myself, as the Solicitor could not have said anything else on my client’s behalf to get a better outcome.

The thing that he did really get caught up on was the fact that the blood alcohol rating was up high into the low range category of 0.077 and had driven quite significant distance on the night before they pulled over. Those where the issues that he got caught up on.

Court outcome

At the end of the day, he didn’t give a Section 10. The Magistrate did disqualify our client for a reduced period from the automatic period of 6 months. He reduced down to the minimum of period that the Court can give 3 months. He also issued our client with the $500 fine.

It wasn’t the holy grail of pleads of guilty that we were after. It wasn’t the Section 10. We have been before many other Local Courts with even higher ratings and probably more serious offences and we have gotten plenty of Section 10s before in similar circumstances. Every Magistrate is different. They do it on a case by case basis. He did get caught up on those two issues mentioned earlier.

We did put our client’s right foot forward. We got the second right result with a full reduction from the automatic period of six months down to the minimum period of three months and a heavily reduced fine from $1,100 down to $500.

So our client was prepared for the fact that he might lose his license today and he understood. He accepted the reasons that the Court gave and the penalties that they handed down.

What this Downing Centre Local Court matter shows

In summary: We have been before many other Local Courts with even higher ratings and probably more serious offences and we have gotten plenty of Section 10s before in similar circumstances. The matter above was heard at Downing Centre Local Court. The reading recorded was 0.077. Preparation here involved a traffic offenders program certificate, character references and a letter of apology. Call 1300 941 900 if you need advice about low range drink driving in New South Wales.

Current New South Wales traffic law covers low range drink driving penalties in detail. Each case turns on its own facts, so treat this Downing Centre Local Court result as general information, not legal advice. Call 1300 941 900 or make an enquiry about legal representation.

So this is just another drink driving matter that we have appeared on at the Downing Centre Local Court in the Sydney CBD. We appear at the Downing Centre Local Court regularly.

If you need to appear before the Court in Queensland, New South Wales, around Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast, we appear in all the major jurisdictions and all the courts around those main cities. If you’d like to give me a call on 1300 941 900, I can certainly have a chat to you about your matter, and see what we can do for you and how we can right represent you when your matter goes to Court.

Alternatively, go along to our website. We published plenty of information there, blog posts & articles. Information on laws, penalties, offences. There’s more videos like this one there, figures, a hype of information there and also there’s offences which you may have found yourself caught up in, and you can read up to make yourself a bit more familiar with the situation you might be in.

Law update since this post (checked 21 Oct 2026)

This post was first published on 7 April 2020. The narrative above is kept as published. These notes record later changes to the law.

  • Since 24 September 2018, NSW good behaviour bonds, community service orders and suspended sentences have been replaced by conditional release orders, community correction orders and intensive correction orders (Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999). References to the older orders in this post describe the law when the matter was decided.
  • Since 20 May 2019, NSW police can deal with an eligible first-offence low range drink driving matter by penalty notice with an immediate 3-month licence suspension, instead of a court charge (Road Transport Act 2013).

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FAQs about this post

What was this low range drink driving matter about?

In Episode 26 of the Boorman Lawyers Court Report Show, we take a look at a low range drink driving offence that our DUI Lawyer Downing Centre appeared on at the Downing Centre Local Court in the Sydney CBD. Our Downing Centre DUI Lawyer appeared on a low range drink driving offence with a blood alcohol reading of 0.077.

What decided the outcome at Downing Centre Local Court?

Today, we were pushing for a Section 10(1)(b), which is a Good Behaviour Bond with no conviction and no disqualification.

Is this April 2020 post still current?

It dates from 7 April 2020. Any later changes to NSW law on low range drink driving are flagged in the dated note above; the NSW law pages are kept current.

Sources and date checked

Sources and references for this page, checked 21 Oct 2026.

This page is general information about New South Wales law only. It is not legal advice. Every matter turns on its own facts.

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