![Kel Stewart Ross was sentenced to six months behind bars in Tamworth Local Court. Picture file Kel Stewart Ross was sentenced to six months behind bars in Tamworth Local Court. Picture file](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/150521478/ca9ca93f-56b4-476f-bf11-a3c5e175aae2.jpg/r0_109_4465_2619_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
A MAN has been hit with a six month prison sentence after a first date took a dramatic turn.
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Kel Stewart Ross had downed four or five beers on a first date when the woman's ex turned up and followed him out to the venue's car park.
The Quirindi man got behind the wheel of his red Nissan Navara to flee from the ex-lover before he was stopped, breath tested, and arrested by police for mid-range drink driving.
The 37-year-old was flanked by family when he appeared in Tamworth Local Court to face the drink driving charge.
His defence solicitor Marc Riviere said Ross was an upstanding member and volunteer in the Quirindi community, but got caught up in a bad romance.
Mr Riviere asked the court for the matter to be dealt with by way of a jail sentence served in the community, to allow Ross to maintain his employment and volunteer status.
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"He was a danger on this occasion, but is a person who is a productive member of society," he said.
"He's a positive influence in the community."
Magistrate Roger Prowse slammed the defence argument, and said that made the drink driving even worse.
"You lived in the community for which you were offending," he said.
Ross was stopped by police at about 9:40pm on February 23, 2023, on the same road he lives on in Quirindi when he blew almost three times the legal limit.
He was taken to Quirindi Police Station where he told officers he hadn't eaten anything during the date, and police claim he was "well affected by alcohol".
In court, Mr Prowse said he was familiar with the geography of Quirindi and told Ross he should have walked home.
"Even a person of my remarkable athletic ability ... could walk from the southern end of Quirindi, to the northern end of Quirindi, with a packed lunch, in an hour-and-a-half," he said.
The court heard the 37-year-old had an "appalling traffic history", which Mr Prowse said meant he couldn't remain in the community.
"This last offending shows the commitment you have to continuing to offend," he said.
Mr Prowse sentenced Ross to six months behind bars for the drink driving offence.
When he's released he will be disqualified from driving for nine months, and subject to a mandatory interlock for two years.
The next day, Mr Riviere told the court the defence had filed an application for the sentence to be appealed in the district court.
He made an unsuccessful bid for Ross to be released from custody while he awaits his appeal date.
Mr Riviere offered a raft of strict bail conditions - including a curfew and daily reporting to police - and said bail would help the 37-year-old maintain his employment.
Mr Prowse said Ross had a "substantial risk of committing further offences", and ordered him to stay in custody.
"Bail is refused," he said.
Ross will remain behind bars until the sentence is appealed in the district court in August.
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