The 68-year-old Ashmont man was sent away for a home detention assessment this week after pleading guilty in Wagga Local Court to driving an unregistered and uninsured car with a mid-range blood alcohol reading of .149 on October 25.

Earle has not been licensed to drive since being stripped of the privilege 26 years ago, and currently is banned until August 27, 2026.

“He has a very poor record,” admitted Max Staples, the solicitor representing Earle.

Amid calls for the judiciary to get tougher on repeat offenders, Wagga magistrate Erin Kennedy took a step down from full-time custody for Earle, instead sending him to Community Corrections to be assessed for home detention, which would include counselling.

If found unsuitable for home detention, Earle will have to serve three months in prison and be on parole for another seven months.

Jail terms of up to three years in the past have failed to stop Earle from re-offending, something which Ms Kennedy noted.

“Full-time custody is not working,” she said.

In asking for Earle not to be jailed, Mr Staples said his client’s wife was disabled and Earle was her primary carer. “She would suffer through no fault of her own,” Mr Staples said.

Earle will be formally sentenced on March 21 following the assessment.