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.
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.
Like the judge said
It's not only a bad choice,but also a criminal choice
Have known the guy for 20 years. This is normal behavior for him. Sad to see him become an alcoholic after his skate career crashed and burned after too many knee injuries.