Drink-driver blew almost 10 times legal limit

One of the state's worst drink drivers is facing time behind bars after being caught almost ten times over the legal alcohol limit.

Brian Geoffrey Smith blew 0.481 when he was pulled over last month, just four days after his licence was suspended.

The 41 year old was caught at Lake Macquarie on the evening of July 31st, with a blood alcohol level considered potentially fatal.

St Vincent Hospital’s Dr Gordian Fulde says that with that amount of booze in the body, the brain doesn’t function.

“The senses, the eyes, the reaction isn’t working,” Fulde says.

Members of the public alerted police after seeing an extremely drunk man refused service at a pub
Before visiting a bottle shop, and climbing into his car at intersection.

When Brian Smith was pulled over he told officers that he'd consumed half a bottle of vodka.

On the front seat of the car there were four empty bottles, along with two full bottles he had just bought.

Police also discovered that Smith’s licence had already been suspended just four days prior, for an alcohol reading of 0.253, while driving a truck on the Newcastle bypass.

Today, the repeat offender pleaded guilty to three charges, and was warned by the Magistrate he'd likely go to jail.