A young West Albury man who ran amok with his alcohol-fed dangerous antics behind the wheel has accepted he "can kill people if he continues to drive like this".
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Defence lawyer Piers Blomfield said Seth James Huggard had developed a habit of "consuming too much alcohol with his friends".
"This would indicate he has a problem with alcohol," Mr Blomfield submitted to Albury Local Court magistrate Sally McLaughlin.
Huggard, 20, of Kurrajong Crescent, pleaded guilty on Monday, March 25, to charges of driving with a mid-range prescribed concentration of alcohol and dangerous driving.
The court heard police followed Huggard as he accelerated so harshly that the back of his car drifted for about two seconds as he sped through central Albury.
Ms McLaughlin told Huggard how, as the Albury coroner, she regularly had to read about the deaths of young men who had died for reasons such as drink-driving, speeding, from the use of illicit substances "and other unlawful activities".
"That's why these matters are so serious," she said.
"Your reading was well into the mid-range."
The incident took place on March 8 about 9.10pm, and was topped-off by Huggard doing burnouts in the Kiewa Street public car park, again with police watching.
When they got him to pull over, Huggard acted strangely.
"The accused's behaviour was someone erratic while interacting with police, with (him) striking his own vehicle with force during a display of aggression," Ms McLaughlin was told, in an outline of the prosecution case.
Huggard then "continually changed" between compliance and aggression, so he was handcuffed "to prevent harm to himself or others".
He then provided a positive reading to a preliminary breath test, so was arrested and taken to Albury police station.
A breath analysis revealed a blood alcohol reading of 0.104.
Police had been conducting patrols of central Albury when they first saw Huggard's vehicle turning right through the Wodonga Place roundabout "and proceed to accelerate harshly" into Smollett Street.
They arrived at the Smollett and Kiewa streets intersection just as Huggard's car did likewise "at speed".
They watched as the wheels on Huggard's car lost traction, then the vehicle "slid violently" to the left for about two seconds as it took the corner and headed south on to Kiewa Street.
After regaining control, Huggard continued to drive at speed for a short distance before entering the car park.
At one stage he did a five-second burnout.
Ms McLaughlin imposed a supervised, nine-month community corrections order on Huggard, with a condition that he undertake counselling and treatment for the misuse of alcohol.
Huggard was also convicted and fined $2500 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.
