‘The Mentalist’ star Simon Baker admits drinking and driving in Australia

MULLUMBIMBY, Australia (AP) — Australian actor and director Simon Baker, finest recognized for his function as Patrick Jane within the CBS drama sequence “The Mentalist,” prevented a conviction Wednesday after pleading responsible to a cost of driving inebriated close to his rural house.

The 55-year-old appeared within the Mullumbimby Native Courtroom in New South Wales state for sentencing after pleading responsible the week earlier than to a cost of driving with a blood-alcohol focus exceeding the authorized restrict of 0.05%.

Baker acted alongside Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway within the Oscar-nominated 2006 movie “The Satan Wears Prada” earlier than starring as a former skilled psychic who turned a California Bureau of Investigation advisor within the hit sequence “The Mentalist” for eight seasons till 2015. He has labored on a number of reveals and films since, together with a film adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro’s “ Klara and the Solar ” directed by Taika Waititi with an anticipated 2025 launch.

Justice of the Peace Kathy Crittenden accepted that Baker was remorseful and was unlikely to drive after ingesting once more. She launched him on a nine-month good conduct bond with no conviction recorded. Australian judges have discretion to not report a conviction in opposition to first-time offenders beneath distinctive circumstances.

Police reported seeing Baker’s Tesla electrical automobile driving erratically within the modern Byron Bay area the place he lives at 2:11 a.m. July 20.

That was hours after a defective software program replace issued by cybersecurity agency CrowdStrike created worldwide technological havoc, disrupting airways, hospitals, authorities workplaces and monetary techniques. Crittenden stated the outage knocked police techniques offline and an digital breath check couldn’t be accomplished on Baker.

She stated police resorted to an “old school sobriety check.”

Police reported Baker was unsteady on his toes and smelled of alcohol. He advised police he had consumed 4 glasses of wine over dinner since 6 p.m., roughly eight hours prior. He was alone within the automobile.

Baker was “very well mannered and cooperative” and “extraordinarily remorseful for his actions,” Crittenden stated. Baker had since accomplished a site visitors offenders’ rehabilitation program, the court docket was advised.

Crittenden stated 4 character references have been tendered to the court docket about Baker’s group contributions, vital regret and testifying to his conduct being out of character.

“The court docket has little problem to find that Mr. Baker is remorseful for his offending and it’s unlikely he’ll offend once more,” she stated.