Goulburn court disqualifies Donna Maree Dale-Picker after high-range drink driving crash

Donna Maree Dale-Picker pleaded guilty in Goulburn Local Court on Wednesday, August 23 to one count of driving with high-range PCA - first offence.

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Magistrate Geraldine Beattie said the 44-year-old was more than three times over the legal limit at 0.158 prescribed content of alcohol when the vehicle she was driving hit a car in Fitzroy Street on May 18, 2023.

"The chances of you crashing were high," she said.

"You told police you consumed six to seven full-strength beers. The last one was at 5.30pm and you crashed at 5.40pm. You drove and hit the rear of another vehicle, causing heavy damage to that car and front-end damage to yours. Fortunately no one was injured."

She noted that, according to police, Dale-Picker's vehicle left a 35-metre skid mark before coming to rest on the road's eastern side.

Magistrate Beattie said Dale-Picker could have inflicted more serious injury and had a lasting impact on emergency services who had to deal with the crash.

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Solicitor Matt Adam said Dale-Picker had pleaded guilty at an early opportunity. His client had grown up in Crookwell, left school in Year 10, worked in shearing sheds in NSW and Queensland and then moved to Cowra before relocating to Goulburn.

Mr Adam told the court that Dale-Picker had worked as a correctional officer and suffered PTSD, for which she was on workers compensation leave. She was also a mother of two.

The solicitor said on the day of the crash, his client had been drinking and tried to extricate herself from a "family confrontation".

"She accepts that the accident could have led to a fatality...," Mr Adam said.

"It could have been worse for everyone but at the end, it was a minor accident..."

But Magistrate Beattie asked Mr Adam not to call it a "minor" collision.

Mr Adam said licence disqualification was appropriate but asked for an exemption on a vehicle interlock device's installation. The device has breath testing linked to the ignition, preventing driving if the person is affected by alcohol.

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In evidence to the court, Dale-Picker said she had no intention or means to buy a vehicle and she intended to move to Queensland where she had "family support." Mr Adam also described her financial situation as "dire".

But police prosecutor, acting sergeant Melissa Gates, questioned the accused on whether she would eventually receive a workers compensation payout, enabling vehicle purchase. Dale-Picker replied that she had no assurance on the outcome.

Acting sergeant Gates described this evidence as "loose" and requested the interlock.

"In these types of offences there is a clear need for deterrence...The sentence assessment report (also) shows a lack of insight (into the offending)," she said.

Dale-Picker's licence was disqualified on May 18. Mr Adam said she had engaged with Pathways, had a mental health plan in place as part of workers compensation, had sought to address her alcohol issues and had completed the Traffic Offenders Program.

"She accepts responsibility for her conduct and the risk she's put others at," he said.

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But Magistrate Beattie said the offence was serious and carried a maximum 18 months' prison and loss of licence.

"You knew you had consumed all that alcohol, you were clearly upset with what was going on in your family and overlaying that is your mental health," she said.

"Given that recipe, your ability to control a car is way down and I'm not surprised you crashed."

She took into account Dale-Picker's early guilty plea, financial situation and impending move to Queensland.

Magistrate Beattie imposed a two-year community corrections order to be of good behaviour. She also disqualified Dale-Picker from driving for eight months from May 18, 2023 and ordered that an interlock be fitted on any vehicle for 24 months after a licence was restored.

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