Wayne Lee Parker sentenced in Tamworth court for low-range drink driving while disqualified, will go through process to lift Habitual Traffic Offender declaration

Wayne Lee Parker was before the court for sentencing on charges of low-range drink driving while disqualified when he was told the news.

"Far out," he said.

"I didn't know that Your Honour, far out."

Tamworth Local Court heard the 40-year-old was subject to a Habitual Traffic Offender declaration, a scheme which was abolished about six years ago.

Parker told the court he had worked hard to get his L-plates and was just waiting to get glasses before going for his Ps.

He said he had been doing cleaning work and had a job interview lined up next week.

Magistrate Julie Soars told him the declaration meant his driver's licence disqualification spanned another 19 years.

"That's going to cover your whole working life and you need to get a strategy to deal with this," she told him.

Legal Aid defence solicitor Rachel Dobson told the court Parker could take steps to lift the Habitual Traffic Offender ruling, which would include two years of good behaviour.

"Alright, so he's got a process to go through," Ms Soars replied.

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Ms Dobson said Parker accepted that his most recent offending, the low-range drink driving charge he was being sentenced for in court at the time, was inappropriate.

"He was driving to the butcher to get meat for his family to have for dinner," she said.

She told the court of the difficulties Parker had faced in his life, and said although his record was "quite lengthy", he had been making changes.

Ms Soars fined Parker $300 for the drink driving and ordered him to stay off the road for six months.

"It's not going to make much difference ... because you still have to lift that [Habitual Traffic Offender declaration]," she told him.

"It's a serious offence for a disqualified driver."

She handed him a good behaviour order for 12 months with a condition not to get behind the wheel unless licensed to do so for the charge of driving while disqualified.

"You need to focus on no further driving offending," Ms Soars said.

She warned him that if he continued to drive like his record indicated, he could end up behind bars.

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