Man spent $1000 a week on beer

Construction worker Michael Leary earns $2000 a week gross - or about $1440 after tax - on Darwin's waterfront project, the Darwin Magistrates Court was told.

The father-of-four spends $150 on rent, $150 on buses and taxis and $50 on his phone and the rest, almost $1100, is spent on his favourite beer - Melbourne Bitter beer

The heartbroken construction worker began drowning his sorrows after breaking up with his partner five years ago, the Northern Territory News said, quoting his defense lawyer as telling a court in Australia's remote, tropical north.

The magistrate declined to jail the father of four, Michael Leary, noting he had quit drinking since his latest arrest, but he banned Leary from buying or even holding a beer for 12 months.

The magistrate also poked fun at Leary's favorite beer, Melbourne Bitter, in a part of the country where drinkers can be as loyal to beer brands as they are to football teams.

''(That is) poor judgment on two counts there -- drinking that much and drinking Melbourne Bitter,'' magistrate Vince Luppino was quoted as saying.

Mr Luppino said Leary already had seven prior drink-driving convictions - including a drunk accident that killed a person in 1989.

Leary was arrested in May this year when NT police caught him on his Kawasaki motorbike speeding at 123km/h in a 100km/h zone on his way home from the Noonamah Pub after a couple of afternoon beers.

Mr Luppino said Leary's drink-driving record could only be described as ''disgraceful'', especially re-offending after his drink-driving had killed someone.

''You didn't learn ... (and) that certainly acts as a black mark against you in my book,'' he said.

But he said he had good rehabilitation prospects and his ''excellent work ethic'' was a "big plus''. He said locking Leary in jail would cost the community more and if he had not been willing to change his drinking habit, he would be going to jail.

He convicted Leary, fined him $100 and sentenced him to a fully-suspended four-month jail term, and placed him on a 12-month alcohol intervention order - which bans him from holding or buying a beer.

He also disqualified his licence for a further three years.