Thomas John Tudehope

By Brenden Hills

April 26, 2009 12:00am

HE'S clever enough to advise to the man who would be prime minister and stupidly reckless enough to drive drunk.
I know it is not important story, but it is interesting....atc least for me:)

Worse, as a 25-year-old still on his P-plates - one who has previously lost his licence - Thomas John Tudehope is forbidden to get behind the wheel with so much as drop of alcohol in him.

As magistrate Christopher Longley told Tudehope when he appeared in Waverley Court last week: "Half a drink more, and you'd find yourself in the court of criminal appeal and in jail."

Tudehope blew 0.14 - a reading almost three times the legal limit for fully licensed drivers - when he was pulled over by police for a random breath test at Double Bay on December 30.

P-platers are not allowed to have any alcohol in their blood while driving.

A police fact sheet said Tudehope was not displaying his P-plates when he was pulled over.

His solicitor, Patrick Doherty, said Tudehope, who pleaded guilty, had consumed "four to five drinks" at a function.

When the function finished, a colleague drove Tudehope's red Toyota Corolla to get some Japanese food at Double Bay, where the staffer had "two to three more drinks", the court heard.

Court documents said Tudehope had his first drink at 7.40pm and his last at 9.30pm.

Tudehope then drove his car the short distance to his Double Bay home, but was stopped by police near William St just after 10pm.

He was fined $1000 plus $73 in court costs, banned from driving for eight months and must attend a traffic offenders' program.



In October last year, Tudehope was fined $189 for not displaying his P-plates and $243 for making a U-turn across dividing lines.

Last May, his licence was suspended for three months after he was caught speeding.

He was also caught speeding in August, 2005.

Asked about the conviction, he said: "It was a personal mistake and a regrettable one at that."



A spokesman for Mr Turnbull said: "It is a personal mistake for which Tom has expressed regret and been punished appropriately by the court."