Counsellors are people who are most often looked up to in a community, there as role models to the youth, however that was not the case in a recent incident involving a former drug and alcohol counsellor.
 

The counsellor tested three times over the legal blood alcohol limit when he crashed into 3 parked cars in the Hepburn Springs area. One would expect a former counsellor to be all the more careful and as he knew the dangers of drink driving better than anyone, in my opinion the courts went a little too easy on him.
 

The bizarre incident involved the man side swiping 2 parked cars before colliding with another parked vehicle. Ironically the man was a third time drink driver, but somehow managed to escape jail. 
 

The penalty awarded by the court seems mild considering that the driver was a former counsellor and this was not his first incident. He was only sentenced to community service and a licence suspension period of 26 months. The fact that the man continued to drive after hitting into the parked vehicles means he does not wish to take responsibility for his actions. Thankfully the man is no longer a drug and alcohol counsellor.
 

This post by TheCourier.com should provide you with more insight:
 

FORMER drug and alcohol counsellor crashed into three parked cars while almost three times over the legal blood alcohol limit, a court has heard.
 

Simon Holmes, 42, was going to get dinner in Hepburn Springs on the night of February 16 this year when the series of collisions occurred.
 

After drinking at home, Holmes decided to get take away food from Ruben’s Restaurant, but before he got there he side-swiped two parked cars belonging to restaurant employees.
 

He then kept driving and collided into the rear of a parked silver Toyota vehicle, which belonged to a restaurant patron.
 

The Toyota suffered moderate damage.
 

Holmes, a third time drink driver, appeared in Ballarat Magistrates Court yesterday where he narrowly avoided jail.
 

Instead, he was sentenced to a 12 month community corrections order including assessment, treatment and testing for alcohol abuse.
 

He was also disqualified from driving for 26 months.
 

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Clint Prebble said that after hitting the three vehicles, Holmes drove off before returning, parking his car and picking up his dinner.
 

Police attended at Holmes’ address about 50 minutes later.
 

Defence lawyer David Tamanika said his client had since resigned from his job.
 

“His concerns were that his personal habits were not on par with how his position was to be carried out,” Mr Tamanika said. “It seems he carries a lot of grieving issues around with him.”
 

The court heard Holmes had gotten out of rehabilitation just days before the incident occurred.
 

In sentencing, magistrate Michelle Hodgson said Holmes should have known not to drive, especially considering his past occupation.
 

“Obviously this occurs at a time of crisis for your client,” she said. “He’s damaged his own health significantly due to alcohol and drug use and now it’s impacting on the rest of the community.
 

“He was very close to receiving a jail sentence today.”
 
The father-of-one pleaded guilty to four charges including drink driving, careless driving and failing to stop a vehicle after an accident.
 

Source: http://www.thecourier.com.au/news/local/news/crime-and-law/former-alcohol-counsellor-on-drink-driving-counts/2582650.aspx

 

The outcome of the counsellor’s drink driving could have been much worse. Recently a man was jailed in New Zealand after crashing into 2 children while intoxicated. The one girl suffered near fatal injuries to the brain and the man was jailed.
 

Tvnz.co.nz reported on the incident:
 

On December 22 last year, Aiono drunk drove down Wordsworth Rd, Manurewa, at between 75kmh and 94kmh.  The speed limit is 50kmh.
 

Aiono swerved to avoid a van, and lost control of his car.
 

The car then crossed to the other side of the road and hit two girls – aged eight and 11 – who were walking along the footpath.
 

The girls were thrown over a fence.
 

Judge Blackie said Aiono’s first reaction was to accelerate off the lawn of the property his car had landed in and flee the scene, but his car was too damaged to do so.
 

“You therefore got out of the car and ran off. Others who were in the vicinity apprehended you and brought you back to the scene. Meanwhile, both of the two girls, one aged 8 and aged 11 both lay very seriously injured. One girl might be described as critically injured.”
 

Eight-year-old Carmella was taken to hospital and spent ten days in a coma.
 

“She almost died,” the judge told the court.
 

Source: http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/drunk-driver-jailed-hitting-girls-4967821

 

This incident should be a warning to other motorists that their actions have consequences for more than just themselves, innocent lives can be affected. Responsible drinking is a subject that needs more attention especially if even drug and alcohol counsellors cannot be trusted to do the right thing when it comes to alcohol consumption and driving.
 

Posted by Peter Cutforth