By Scott Murdoch and Christine Chen
U.S. private equity firm TPG's star Australian dealmaker Joel Thickins was convicted on Tuesday of negligent driving and refusing a breath test to determine his blood alcohol levels, according to local court files.
Thickins, a TPG partner and co-head of Asia, pleaded guilty in a Sydney court to the two offences that involved an incident on June 1. He hit several parked cars on a street in a wealthy Sydney suburb with his BMW, according to local media reports.
Thickins was fined A$880 ($604) for refusing a breath test, A$550 for negligent driving not causing death or grievous bodily harm and was disqualified from driving for nine months, the court documents showed.
In a statement released by his lawyer, Thickins said he accepted full responsibility for the incident.
"I apologise again for the inconvenience and distress caused and I will meet all costs for the damage," Thickins said. "I'm very grateful no one was injured or hurt. As I have assured the court, this will never happen again."
The American-born executive sits on the board of a number of TPG's portfolio companies in Australia, including veterinary business Greencross and funeral firm InvoCare, according to the private equity firm's website.
"While we were disappointed to learn of Joel's actions when he was involved in a car collision in Sydney, we acknowledge that Joel is taking full responsibility for his actions and the impact they have caused and that he appreciates the seriousness of the matter," a TPG spokesperson said in an emailed statement.
($1 = 1.4571 Australian dollars)