Chinchilla court wrap: Drink, drug or unlicensed drivers sentenced in Chinchilla Magistrates Court

From a motorist who crashed into a bus and fled the scene to a woman caught driving unlicensed while taking her partner to hospital, these are the people who faced court for flouting the road rules.

CHINCHILLA AUSTRALIA NCA NEWSWIRE - TUESDAY 13TH DECEMBER 2022 - General street picture of Chinchilla - CHINCHILLA COURT HOUSE Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Clark

A number of drunk, drug or unlicensed drivers faced Chinchilla Magistrates Court on Thursday, and were sentenced for the following offences:

NO CONVICTION RECORDED

• Angelo Tsatas

Tsatas, 42, faced Chinchilla Magistrates Court on Thursday, pleading guilty to driving while unlicensed after being detected on Roger St, Chinchilla on September 28.

Tsatas told the court he had recently moved to Queensland and hadn't changed over his licence from the last state he lived in within the three month period.

He said he was in the process of changing over his licence now.

Magistrate Kathleen Payne said it was “an honest mistake” and fined him $150 with no conviction recorded.

• Ethan Damien Pearson

Pearson, 25, pleaded guilty to driving while a relevant drug was present in his saliva after an incident on October 8 in Chinchilla.

Pearson was detected on the Warrego Highway at about 10am by police where a roadside drug test returned a positive reading for methamphetamine.

No conviction was recorded.

• Tina Marie Covacic

Meanwhile Covacic, 51, fronted court and pleaded guilty to failing to stop and provide information after a crash and driving under the influence of alcohol across two separate incidents.

The court was told that on September 9 in a carpark off the Warrego Highway, Covacic was parallel parked next to a shipping container when she reversed out without looking and crashed into the side of a bus.

Covacic said she “panicked” and drove away from the scene, with witnesses identifying her red Mazda.

Several days later on September 18, police observed a red Mazda with a smashed back window and rear hatch driving erratically. Police stopped the vehicle and subjected Covacic to a breath test, where she blew 0.117.

Covacic, who had no history of any kind, was fined $200 for the crash, $650 for the drink driving and lost her licence for three months.

No conviction was recorded.

• Rheyen Patrick Coulter Arnold

Arnold faced court and pleaded guilty to driving while a relevant drug was in his saliva after an incident on August 23 in Wandoan.

Police intercepted Arnold riding his motorbike on Zupp Rd, subjecting him to a roadside drug test where he returned a positive reading for THC and methamphetamine.

Arnold had received two prior drug driving charges within the last two years and Ms Payne warned him he could be facing prison time if he continued the behaviour.

He was fined $900, received a three month loss of licence and no conviction was recorded.

• Renee Lee Donaldson

Donaldson pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified after an incident on September 30.

Donaldson was intercepted by police on Colamba St at about 7.30pm for routine licence check, revealing she was disqualified.

She told the court she was driving her partner to hospital after he had broken his hand in a workplace accident.

Donaldson who already has two prior convictions for driving while disqualified was hit with a two year loss of licence and a $1000 fine.