Wagga Local Court magistrate in disbelief at repeat drink driving by paramedic Christopher Roshan Richards

Christopher Roshan Richards, of Bourkelands, appeared in Wagga Local Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to one charge of driving with a mid-range prescribed concentration of alcohol.

Magistrate Rebecca Hosking said Richards, 33, had previously been given a conditional release order with no conviction for a previous drink-driving charge.

"Conditional release orders without conviction are given on the basis that they can also be taken away," Magistrate Hosking said.

"There is just no excuse whatsoever for drinking and driving."

Magistrate Hosking said Richards's breath test reading was "pretty high" and noted he worked as a paramedic.

"I find it very hard to believe that someone who is a paramedic, who has seen the aftermath of these accidents, thinks they are immune to that happening to them or inflicting similar harm on the community," she said.

According to a police statement of facts, officers pulled Richards over at 10.25pm on July 2 while travelling south on Bourke Street in Tolland.

Police made the decision to stop Richards after seeing the Isuzu utility he was driving swerve towards the kerb unnecessarily on approach to the roundabout at Red Hill Road.

Richards tested positive for alcohol and he was taken for further testing at Wagga police station, where he returned a reading of 0.134 and was given a licence suspension notice.

Richards told police he had nine alcoholic beverages between 6pm and 9pm.

In court on Wednesday, solicitor Zac Tankard said Richards had fully complied with the previous court order until he decided to "let his hair down" during a period of "crazy work time".

"[Richards] was taking it easy and drinking light beers. He could not believe the reading was that high," Mr Tankard said.

"There is no doubt his work will have something to say about it, as they did last time.

"This time is arguably more serious. He has done the driver's education course, he is concerned about this destructive behaviour towards himself and has seen a psychiatrist."

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Mr Tankard said Richards would not be able to work while his licence was disqualified.

"That is his fault. He knows it's his fault," Mr Tankard said.

Magistrate Hosking said she would not give much weight to Richards's character references that claimed his drink-driving was out of character despite it being a second offence.

"This is completely in character. These references are not worth the paper they are written on," she said.

"The references say the same thing as everyone else's: how detrimental it would be to lose their licence.

"What about the other people on the road?"

Magistrate Hosking said it was a concern that police pulled Richards over because his driving seemed to be impaired.

"A conditional release order is a gift; a non-conviction puts you to the test and challenges you to prove that you will never do it again," she said.

"You haven't passed the test."

Richards was sentenced to a six-month community corrections order with an abstinence from alcohol for breaching the release order.

For the latest drink driving charge, Richards was sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order with a requirement to attend rehabilitation for alcohol.

Richards was also disqualified from driving for three months to be followed a a 12-month period with an alcohol interlock fitted to his vehicle.

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