Gundagai's Martin David ordered off the road after drunken midnight crash ends in Gundagai paddock

Gundagai's Martin David, 28, was sentenced in the Junee Local Court on Friday on one count of negligent driving and one count of driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Shortly after midnight on May 22, David was driving a white Ford Territory west down Nangus Road towards Junee when he lost control of the vehicle, careening through a small wire fence and into a nearby paddock.

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When the chaos had ended, the vehicle was bogged in mud and facing the opposite direction - east.

About 12.30am, police attended the scene and noted David had a strong smell of intoxication, that he was unsteady on his feet and his speech was incoherent.

David returned a positive breath test and was taken to the Junee police station, where officers took three more breath samples before the two-hour period allowed for breath analysis lapsed.

However, all of these returned insufficient samples.

On questioning, David was inconsistent, telling police he had consumed six beers, before downgrading this to four, and finally saying he had consumed six beers in the hour before driving.

In court this week, David pleaded guilty to the offence.

Counsel for the defence said his client was in Australia on a working visa and while it was a serious matter, it was his first time committing the offence.

Magistrate Robert Stone noted David was "badly affected" by alcohol.

"You were not only a danger to yourself, but also to other road users," Magistrate Stone said.

David was convicted and fined $1200, with a nine-month disqualification period and a two-year interlock order.

He was also sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order.

"If you have another offence in the next 12 months you can be brought back before the court to have this matter reviewed, [which could result in you] receiving a harsher penalty," the magistrate said.

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