Drive-thru mix request leads to impaired charge

Gregory Owen Brewer, 36, of Fredericton, was fined, barred from driving Tuesday as a result of drunk-driving conviction

Staff at a fast-food drive-thru on Fredericton’s north side had a feeling the guy at the window might be under the influence - mainly because he ordered mix for his drink.

Gregory Owen Brewer, 36, of Kent Street in Fredericton, was scheduled to stand trial Tuesday in provincial court on a Dec. 23, 2021, charge of impaired driving.

However, he opted instead to change his plea to guilty.

Gregory Owen Brewer (Photo: Facebook)

Crown prosecutor Rodney Jordan said the offence came to light when staff at the Dairy Queen on Fredericton’s north side called 911 to report a possible impaired driver.

They reported a man driving a red Chevy Colorado was in the drive-thru had ordered mix for his drink, court heard.

A Fredericton police officer pulled the red pickup over and found Brewer at the wheel, Jordan said, and he detected a smell of alcohol.

A breathalyzer test administered shortly thereafter showed Brewer’s blood-alcohol level to be 130 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, court heard. The legal limit is 80 mg.

The prosecutor noted Brewer has a prior conviction for impaired driving, but it dates back to 2012 and therefore doesn’t fall within the range to trigger an automatic jail term for a second offence.

He asked the court to impose a fine, and defence lawyer Emily Cochrane agreed.

She noted his guilty plea is a mitigating factor, and he accepts responsibility.

Brewer told the court he made “a very bad choice on the night in question,” and Judge Natalie LeBlanc agreed. 

“It’s not just a bad choice, it’s a criminal choice,” she said, noting he put the public at risk when he drove under the influence, especially by Dairy Queen. “There’s cars with children there.”

She imposed a total fine of $1,950 and prohibited him from driving for a year.

Don MacPherson can be contacted at ftonindependent@gmail.com.