Police said Jason Trevor Walker of Byng Street in Orange had driven 45 kilometres east from Dubbo along the Mitchell Highway on May 5, with several motorists reporting swerving and near collisions. 

Police pulled Walker over at 5.19pm west of Wellington where he registered a blood alcohol reading of 0.166.

Walker told police he had drunk four schooners of beer between 2pm and 4.30pm and solicitor Mason Manwaring told Orange Local Court while Walker had not intended to drink, plans went astray. 

Magistrate David Day noted Walker’s good record, but his blood alcohol limit as a provisional driver was zero.

“You shouldn’t have been driving at all,” he said.