Paul Armstrong, of Wedderburn, pleaded guilty in the Ballarat Magistrates Court on Monday. 

Police prosecutor Sergeant Michael Patterson said on May 1 this year, Armstrong was intercepted by police while driving on Howitt Street at 10.10pm.

When taken for testing, he had a blood alcohol reading of 0.185, with his licence immediately suspended. 

The court heard when interviewed, Armstrong admitted he had drunk eight to 10 vodkas before driving, and was returning to his mother’s house after dropping his brother off less than one kilometre away.

Mr Armstrong’s defence said his client had been to a funeral before the offending, with "two deaths in the family in the space of a month”.

“The stupidity of that [short trip] is not lost on him, he was not thinking straight,” the defence lawyer said.

The court heard Armstrong was given a verbal agreement of a transport job after two and half years of unemployment.

His defence argued if his “licence was cancelled and disqualified for 18 months, an appropriate fine to properly deter him and others” would be sufficient, but wouldn’t impact future employment.

Magistrate Letizia Torres said the offending had “such a huge reading, which is so dangerous, even on a short journey”.

“[When alcohol-affected] your judgement is impaired and you're not going to make good decisions,” she said. 

“You’re now living in a remote area. Don’t drive, don't make more problems than you've already got.”

Armstrong’s licence was suspended for 18 months, and was ordered to pay a $1000 fine.

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