Silverchair’s Ben Gillies to face court over drink driving charge

Silverchair drummer Ben Gillies will have to face Newcastle Local Court on March 1 on drink driving charges.

According to documents tendered in court, and reported by the Newcastle Herald, charges include mid-range drink driving (an alleged blood alcohol reading of 0.144), refusing or failing to submit to a breath test and negligent driving.

Police said the 38-year-old musician was picked up before 1am in Hamilton.

His solicitor represented him at a brief mention in court, during which he said a plea would be entered at his next session.

In October 2014, his Silverchair colleague Daniel Johns was fined $880 and lost his driver’s licence for a time after pleading guilty to one count of mid-range drink-driving in Newcastle.

The court appearance was not the only publicity that Gillies had this week.

His psychic and TV host wife Jackie Gillies – of Real Housewives Of Melbourne and currently on Ten’s I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here— is apparently pregnant or planning to become pregnant with their first child, according to New Idea.