Darren Wick, who describes himself as an alcoholic, blamed a mixture of stress from his high-pressure job and a double hip replacement for his excessive drinking
Channel Nine’s director of news and current affairs has escaped jail after being caught driving more than four times over the legal limit.
Darren Wick, who describes himself as an alcoholic, blamed a mixture of stress from his high-pressure job and a double hip replacement for his excessive drinking.
The 58-year-old had a previous mid-range drink driving offence from 2010 after which he had tried to control his stress through exercise, including surfing.
Wick’s solicitor told Hornsby Local Court on Wednesday his client effectively worked 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Mr Sutton said Wick had suffered anxiety over the detention of 60 Minutes reporter Tara Brown and her crew in Beirut during a bungled attempt to bring two children back to Australia in 2016.
Last year Wick had been faced with the challenges of organising Channel Nine’s coverage of major news stories including bushfires and COVID-19.
Mr Sutton said Wick had two hips replaced in 2019, leading to a ‘terrible’ infection and one of the replacements being removed.
He was without a hip for six weeks and then unable to exercise during his recovery, reverting to consuming alcohol as a crutch.
‘He was a functioning alcoholic for a period of time,’ Mr Sutton said.
That all came crashing down when Wick, who has been in the top job at Nine’s news division since 2012, was pulled over on October 16 with a blood alcohol reading of 0.227.
Nine News Director, Darren Wick attends Hornsby Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to a high-range drink driving following a lunch last year
The 58-year-old had just left a work function at Nine’s old Willoughby offices on Sydney’s lower north shore when he was stopped in his Jeep Grand Cherokee about 6.30pm.
He had previously been to lunch at a restaurant and caught an Uber back to Channel Nine, where there was a farewell function for a colleague.
‘He drank and he drank and he drank,’ Mr Sutton said.
Wick had driven about 1.2km to the corner of Mowbray Road and Penshurst Street while on the 20km journey to his Narrabeen home.
Nine Network’s national news director Darren Wick pleaded guilty to drink driving
Mr Sutton said it might be asked why someone didn’t stop Wick but magistrate Robyn Denes was quick to reject that submission.
‘Who’s going to stop him?’ Ms Denes said. ‘If you think of his role in management, who’s going to stop him?’
A police statement of facts said Wick had almost fallen onto the road before being arrested.
The facts state police saw Wick’s Jeep mount the footpath on Willoughby Road before returning to the bitumen then grazing the gutter as he turned left onto Mowbray Road.
He was stopped, breath-tested, arrested and taken to Chatswood police station.
‘In relation to his drinking the accused stated he had consumed one beer and three glasses of white wine whilst at a work function in Willoughby between the hours of 1.15pm and 3.30pm that afternoon,’ the facts said.
‘The accused said that he consumed snacks consisting of spring rolls and san choy bow.
‘It is the opinion of police that the accused was well-affected by intoxicating liquor at the time. This was due to him being unsteady on his feet and needing support to stand or walk on several occasions.
‘When the accused was first asked to exit his vehicle the accused almost fell from the vehicle onto the roadway and whilst waiting to enter the police vehicle the accused held himself steady by holding onto a nearby road sign.’
The facts state police saw Wick’s Jeep (similar to the one pictured) mount the footpath on Willoughby Road at Willoughby before returning to the bitumen then grazing the gutter
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Mr Sutton said by the time Wick was leaving Channel Nine of the day of the offence he was incapable of making a sensible decision.
Ms Denes said Wick’s decision to drive was ‘incomprehensible’ considering his previous drink-diving offence and senior media position.
Since his arrest Wick had accepted his alcoholism, apologised to Channel Nine staff for his actions and media coverage of his drink driving had reached more than nine million people, Mr Sutton said.
‘He now calls himself an alcoholic. He understands he’s an alcoholic. That has got to be the first stop on the road to recovery.’
Mr Sutton said Wick had made ‘tremendous efforts’ to draw attention to the dangers of drink driving and towards his own rehabilitation.
‘He wants others to learn,’ Mr Sutton said.
Wick, who pleaded guilty to high-range drink driving last year, said he had arrived at court expecting to be sent to prison. ‘I’m in a position where I do know better and I should have known better,’ he said after the hearing
Ms Denes said a custodial sentence was appropriate but it could be served by way of a nine-month intensive correction order. She disqualified Wick from driving for nine months and ordered he complete 100 hours of community service.
Wick, who pleaded guilty to high-range drink driving last year, said he had arrived at court expecting to be sent to prison.
‘I’m in a position where I do know better and I should have known better,’ he said after the hearing.
‘But it comes down to I let an addiction to alcohol get out of control. I didn’t respect it for what it was.
‘I made a terrible mistake where I could have harmed others.’
In an email sent to staff days after he was arrested, Wick admitted he was seeking help for his alcoholism.
‘Sadly, in a moment of unacceptable madness, I’ve let you down,’ Wick wrote.
‘Last Friday evening, I stupidly jumped behind the wheel of my car drunk and attempted to drive home. I was pulled over by police in Willoughby and tested positive to high range drink driving, more than four times over the legal limit.
‘There was no no rational reason for me to do this. And I’ve played the events over in my head repeatedly during the past few days. What made me snap?
‘The answer is that I have face the reality that I have an addiction to alcohol that I have been struggling to control for some time.’
The email said Wick intended to continue on in his role but might be spending more time out of the office.
He urged his colleagues who might also be struggling with an addiction to alcohol to seek support.
‘I want to make this right. If any of you are considering making the same kind of decision I did, please don’t. Don’t risk it and if you think you have a problem, get help,’ Wick wrote.
Darren Wick had just left a work function at Channel Nine’s old Willoughby offices in Sydney’s north (pictured) when he was stopped in his Grand Cherokee model Jeep about 6.30pm
Wick said after his arrest he would check into a drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinic for 21 days from October 26. He returned to work in recent weeks.
Wick told The Daily Telegraph he was committed to working with counsellors on a 12-month program to better understand an illness that had ‘snuck up’ on him.
‘I need professional help,’ he told the newspaper. ‘I’ve got one shot to get things right. I’m not gonna f*** it up.’
Wick’s ongoing treatment would require him to attend twice-weekly meetings for the next 11 months.
A Nine Network spokesperson previously told Daily Mail Australia the company would support Wick.
‘Darren Wick has done something serious and with significant consequences but we intend to support our friend and colleague as he commits to recovering from this illness and rebuilds his life,’ the spokesperson said.
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