P-plate driver records BAC reading 19 times legal limit

By Matt Brogan | March 17th, 2010

21 year old Canberra P-plate driver Joanne Gross has recorded one of Australia’s highest ever blood-alocohol readings – a staggering 0.385 per cent.

The result, 19 times the legal Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) limit for a P-plate driver in the ACT, followed a road side breath test where police say Ms Grosse was so drunk that she could barely speak.

The ACT Magistrates Court heard that following a night of heavy drinking last November, Ms Grosse went home and continued drinking. When she awoke at 7:15am the following morning, Ms Grosse “downed a few wines” before her boyfriend drove her in to the city to collect her car. An hour later she was found asleep at the wheel of her car with two deflated tyres.

The court also heard that a woman who came to Ms Grosse’s aid found her with her eyes closed. The woman also said that Ms Grosse needed to be shook slightly “in an attempt to wake her”.

Two other women also stopped to help Ms Grosse from the car. A short time later police attended the scene. At that point, Ms Grosse awoke and “began mumbling”, police said.

“There was a strong smell of liquor . . . and her speech was slurred,” police told the court.

Ms Grosse was then taken to hospital with minor hand injuries.

Ms Grosse, a repeat drink-drive offender, was fined $600 for the offence and had her license suspended for 18 months. She was also placed on a good behaviour bond.

The court was told that Ms Grosse suffers from an alcohol problem but was undergoing rehabilitation.

(with The Daily Telegraph)

Splatcat

Should have been charged with attempted Manslaughter and the boyfriend charged as an accomplice to attempted manslaughter. The legal system in this country is a joke, a slap on the wrist for this type of behaviour, but if you steal a few thousand dollars you go to jail for a couple of years. We certainly have our priorities right.

Jimmy

Sorry but why should they be charged with attempted manslaughter? I’m not saying that their actions weren’t reckless and irresponsible etc but I didn’t read anything about them nearly killing anyone. That’s a pretty broad comment regarding ‘our country’s legal system’ too…

http://CarAdvice The Salesman.

Why can we not ban people like this from drinking? The fine and loss of licence will not stop her getting drunk and putting her life and others in danger.
Lagoza

Quick, somebody call the Guinness book of records.

Lawyer said she had a drinking problem, you think!
fishman

18 months? What a joke…I don’t know what the maximum penalty us, but repeat offenders should get a minumum 3 year ban, and in a case like 5+years would be more appropriate
David

God help us all if she and her boyfriend decide to breed…

http://CarAdvice The Salesman.

Pitty you dont need a licence to do that…..

Wayne Kerr

Not condoning her dangerous behaviour, but she can drink – 0.385 and still alive. I only blew 0.1 on a pub breathalyzer after 8 drinks.
Damian

You’d think that she would express at least some contrition given the debacle she is in, but the photo says otherwise. A five year ban plus a ten year stint on the alcohol interlock program, would be a good starting point.
Yonny

Wayne (^^^) it’s probably what she drank, and in what period of time that led to her astronomic reading.

Not surprised to see this (lenient sentence) occurring in Canberra. They’re very hot on speeding, but seem to have a problem punishing the really dangerous stuff – and I’m not just talking about driving offenses either.
Falcon_Crazy

YOu can be fined far higher and lose your licence and car for speeding in NSW. What a joke, she is lucky she didn’t take out a family, peds – fair dinkum. What a joke of a sentence. And how the boyfriend gets away with nothing is also a joke….
Jon

$600 and 18 months, is a joke. Should be $6,000 and 3 years. What if she gets her license back and drink drive again, her car may hit someone….. not good.
Valet Dabess

dayum! well maybe if she went for her opens it wouldn’t sound so bad

Classic

well, almost 8 times the limit really isn’t any worse than 19 times the limit, is it. it’s still ridiculous in the extreme. god there’s some trailer park trash out there.
Classic

She’s exactly the type of person who’ll get pregnant with her equally stupid boyfriend just so they can get the baby bonus and get that plasma TV they’ve always wanted.

ST

$600?? is that all? You get more out of a high range speeding offence.
ohreally

She should receive an award for not falling into a coma and dying which can occur at this BAC

What a joke 600 dollars? only 18months?

someone caught speeding 5kmh over the limit 4 times in a year will cough up more
WTF

Should be 18 months in jail!
Tom

Taking licenses away from repeat drink drivers is useless. Here are people who don’t have the maturity and mental fortitude to stop themselves from getting in their car and driving when they have been drinking. Clearly the threat of getting caught drink driving wasn’t enough for them to not drink and drive, so whats the threat of getting caught driving without a license going to do?

The only real solution? Massive, financially crippling fines and jail time. $600 is absolutely nothing, and no deterrent. Minimum for drink driving (particularly at that magnitude) should be $5k which goes up $500 for every 0.01 you are over, adjusted yearly to match CPI, and then the threat of jail time. That’ll make a statement on how much a drinks worth. And no ‘boo-hoo I’m on Centrelink so I can only pay $30′, $5k and if it takes you 30 years to pay it off then tough, should have thought of that before you hopped in the car.

With society these days, people only respect money. So make the punishment hit them where it hurts, its the only way to make it effective.

Damian

Putting these scum bags in gaol is like awarding them a free holiday. A better way would be for them to undertake high visibility community service i.e. cleaning graffiti, washing down public toilets, cleaning rubbish off of the streets – whilst wearing one of those reflective OHS jackets with “DRINK DRIVER” written on back and front. All these government education schemes are going to sh*t and are a waste of taxpayers money.

If said drink driver is on Centrelink, then it should be grounds to cut their welfare payments altogether. If you’re able-bodied enough to drink and drive, then it’s fair to assume that you’re healthy enough to get off your ass and get a job like everybody else.

Lot6

YOUR JUST ALL JEALOUS THAT SHE CAN DRINK YOU ALL UNDER THE TABLE…..
Jarrod

What A Load of S#@%. $600!!!! How is this supposed to deter morons like her from doing in the future??? $600!!! “Ms Gross…for making the Australian Legal System look like a joke heres a $600 fine and a ‘please dont do it again’”
swampdawg

So it reads she did not physically drive car, she must of had the keys in the ignition, car stationary with intent to drive. Glad she was not a Hummer and a 12 gauge (depicted as a AK47 NOT a SVD Dragunov) buyer.

Splatcat

It was not an AK 47, it was a Dragunov SVD, google it. learn your rifles if you are going to comment.

swampdawg

Sorry but this knowlege is in one of my fields of expertise, SVD type scope & appearance yes, but check the trigger guard position/ trigger mechanism in relation to the magazine. Go check AK47 and SVD pictures back to back. I am glad I never patrolled with anyone that thinks its an SVD.
Martin

That girl needed a suspended sentence at the very least, she highlights the fact that the ACT is a joke, like many of its drivers.
Splatcat – you have no idea what you’re on about, best you get the facts correct before making inaccurate statements.

UMWAHT

bogans at their best
toxic_horse

I don’t condone drink driving but you have to give credit for the legendry bender.
http://www.davidmcsteen.com.au Drink driving lawyer

When will these kinds of people learn, good thing she only manage to have a hand injury and not a fatal one. Attending a good conduct seminar is the right thing for her, although its boring. It might help to increase her awareness..
F1MotoGP

I NEw York state few years ago drink driving was a big problem than there was a new law. If you over the limit they will take your car I mean you never get it back and sell it at auction and the money goes to city to improve road…etc. I remember a woman was crying because she lost her 1 year old Mercedes sport car!! Drink driving dropped within 3 months by 40%!!!