Mark William Watts’ bid to impress lands him in jail for hooning and drink-driving

A man’s efforts to impress his girlfriend have ended with him being jailed over multiple driving offences, including driving drunk and doing burnouts in a carpark. Mark William Watts, 31, appeared in Rockingham Magistrate’s Court last week and pleaded guilty to two counts of no authority to drive, driving while more than twice the legal limit and reckless driving. Police prosecutor Sen. Const. Brian Sutherland said Watts was first caught driving on a suspended licence at 7pm on August 12 last year, along Parkin Street in Rockingham. He was then given a breath test and blew 0.106g/ L, just over double the legal limit. Watts was caught driving on a suspended licence a few weeks later on August 21 at 10.10am in Safety Bay. This time he was doing burnouts in a BP carpark, before speeding off after seeing police. His lawyer Stacey Byrne said Watts had been in the car with his then-girlfriend and had driven to try and impress her while intoxicated. He was also with the same girlfriend the second time and was “distracted” by her, which is why he ended up driving recklessly. Ms Byrne said the girl Watts was with at the time was an alcoholic and had encouraged him to drink and drive. She said Watts was now with a different woman, who was six months pregnant and had helped him change. Magistrate Joanne Andretich said he had put the community, himself and his then-girlfriend at risk when he chose to drive. She also said even though he had been trying to impress someone, at 31 years old he should “know better”. Magistrate Andretich said Watts had a history of driving offences and that other court orders had done nothing to change his behaviour. She said his recent changes after meeting his new partner were “too little, too late,” after “persistent” offending with “no significant gaps”. Watts was sentenced to nine months jail, fined $900 and received a further disqualification on his drivers licence.