AN ARMIDALE camper who fled an armed attack found himself in court after police charged him with negligent driving.
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Ian Bettinson was found guilty of the offence and drink driving while seeking help from police after he was bashed in the head.
He had been camping alone in the Tweed Valley when he was allegedly attacked by three men with baseball bats.
The court heard after escaping from his attackers, Bettinson, who didn’t have access to a phone, drove his car to seek help and, seeing a police vehicle, pulled over behind it to alert them of the attack.
He remained in his car while the officers called for an ambulance, but Bettinson became increasingly agitated about his injuries and released the handbrake, causing the car to roll slowly forward into the police vehicle.
They then charged him withnegligent and drink driving, having been found to be just .01 over the legal limit.
The court heard that Mr Bettinson suffers from cancer and mental health issues, which contributed to his level of agitation. Magistrate Karen Stafford said while she had taken the circumstances into account, she felt Bettinson still needed to be punished for getting behind the wheel.
“Members of the public on Tweed Valley Way were put at risk as he was driving with an injury and while intoxicated,” she said.
Bettinson was fined $150 for negligent driving and $350 for drink driving and lost his licence for six months.
A police spokeswoman said the department could not comment on whether the police should have made the charges or if they went in search of the assailants.
