IN COURT: 'Mistake' costs Bundy region champion dearly

TEACHER aid who worked with disabled children and president of countless community organisations, Stephen Leslie Balaza was a pillar of the community.

A TEACHER aid who worked with disabled children, a school bus driver and president of countless community organisations, Stephen Leslie Balaza was a pillar of the Childers and Isis communities.

But the consequences of being caught with more than 2.5kg of marijuana has impacted the 59-year-old in a magnitude of ways and threatened to put a halt to his community-orientated volunteering.

Balaza appeared in the Bundaberg District Court yesterday facing the single charge of possessing marijuana after police found three bags of the drug in his car on his South Isis property on May 30, 2017.

Immediately after entering a guilty plea, Balaza addressed Judge Michael Rackemann, and expressed his remorse and apologised for his actions.

The court heard Balaza picked up the drugs from an unknown person in Hervey Bay and there was an arrangement for a second unknown person to collect the drugs, in return for an amount of small cash.

Defence barrister David Murray described that limited involvement as a "mistake” and said during his career, dating back to 1988, he'd never uncounted someone who was such a shining example of a community-minded member of society.

"He was a first-aid officer for the Junior Childers Rugby League for two years, he was president of the school bus association 10 years, he was president of the Isis Community Kindergarten for two years, he was the president of the Childers State School P&C Association for three years, he was a member of the state governing body of the P&C Association for two years, he was a member of the school safely committee for six years, he was the vice president of the Childers Historical Society for four years ... he was a regular volunteer on all of the working bees ... and as a caterer he was always the cook for any fundraising,” he said. "All of that was done with the backdrop of caring for a disabled son.

"He simply made a mistake.”

Mr Murray said that simple mistake was threatening to undo all Balaza's hard work.

"He's no longer the school bus driver ... he can not be involved with any of the school activities,” he said.

"He was a teacher's aid up until being charged with this offence for disabled children, at both the high school and primary school - he's now lost that role as well.

"My client has had it driven home, the effects of this involvement on his life.

"There is a cost to the community as well ... given a man with his attitude towards assisting others, he finds that a bitter pill.”

Balaza was placed on a 15-month suspended sentence which will hang over his head for three years.