Latest round of drink or drug drivers sentenced in Chinchilla Magistrates Court
The latest round of drink or drug drivers busted around the region have been sentenced in the Chinchilla Magistrates Court. FULL LIST:
Police & Courts
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From a US tourist blowing over after the infamous Wandoan Camel Races to a single dad picking up breakfast for his kids, here’s the latest round of drink or drug drivers to face court in the Western Downs.
Convictions recorded:
A single father-of-three who told the court he’s “changed his life around” was busted drink driving again.
Damien James Butler pleaded guilty in Chinchilla Magistrates Court to drink driving over the general alcohol limit.
Police prosecutor Chris Hutchins said on September 10 Dalby Highway Patrol intercepted Butler’s vehicle along the Warrego Highway in Miles for a breath test.
Butler’s test came back positive and he had a blood-alcohol content reading of 0.078.
Mr Hutchins said the defendant had a “significant” history for this type of offending, however the fact he had not been in court for five years showed he had “turned it around somewhat”.
Butler told the court he made “an honest mistake”.
“I had a few drinks the night before, I got up, felt fine. I was just going to the shops to grab bacon and eggs for the children,” he said.
“I’ve changed my life around. It was just an honest mistake.”
Acting magistrate Andrew Walker said he understood the defendant’s predicament and called his situation a “morning after type matter”.
“Why you still had the reading the next day, I don’t know,” the magistrate said.
Butler was fined $600, referred to SPER, and disqualified from driving for four months.
A conviction was recorded.
No conviction recorded:
A Wieambilla man busted drug driving has been awarded his last chance after the magistrate decided against recording a conviction.
Noah Reece Davidson pleaded guilty in Chinchilla Magistrates Court to drug driving.
Police prosecutor Chris Hutchins said on August 24 police intercepted Davidson’s vehicle for a drug test on Chinchilla-Tara Rd.
The drug test came back positive with a tendered certificate indicating the presence of cannabis.
The warrant, which laid on file, for Davidson’s arrest was cancelled.
Davidson wasn’t eligible for a restricted work licence, however he told the court he’s “not really qualified for anything”.
Acting magistrate Andrew Walker said he would give the defendant a final chance.
“Given your young age, you’re in your early twenties, I’ll give you this one chance and one chance only that this conviction won’t be recorded against you,” he said.
Davidson was fined $400, referred to SPER, and disqualified from driving for the minimum three months.
No conviction was recorded.
•
A United States citizen holidaying in Queensland had his first ever court matter dealt with quite far from home.
Jason Lore Campbell pleaded guilty in Chinchilla Magistrates Court to drink driving over the general alcohol limit.
Police prosecutor Chris Hutchins said on October 8 police pulled over Campbell’s car at a stationery RBT set up.
The test came back positive, with Campbell having a blood alcohol concentration reading of 0.054.
“Effectively it was targeted patrols outside the Wandoan Camel Races. Unfortunately the defendant was pulled up in those targeted patrols and he was just over,” Mr Hutchins.
“No doubt he will return to Pennsylvania and he won’t have to worry about the disqualification because it’s only applied to Australia, but your honour has to give him at least a month.”
Campbell told the court he had “never been in trouble before” and he apologised.
“I did stay there the night before until midnight and there were no options for an Uber or taxi in the middle of nowhere to get back to Chinchilla,” he said.
“So I slept in the back seat of my rental, thank god the next morning there was a little old lady selling sandwiches and bottles of water.
“I purchased a sandwich, two bottles of water and woke up, had half a sandwich, a bottle of water and decided ‘OK I feel like I’m ready’ and as soon as I turned out of the parking lot there was a check point.
“In my heart I felt like I was doing the right thing. It’s been eating at me for the last few weeks, I’ve never had to deal with a situation like this.”
Acting magistrate Andrew Walker said he understood that Campbell made a mistake and that in the US most states had a .08 legal drinking limit.
“You can talk to any medical person, different people metabolise alcohol at different rates. You can feel pretty good but it can still be a detectable amount in your system,” the magistrate said.
“You were over even though you did try to do the right bits and pieces.”
Mr Walker granted Campbell’s request to delay the sentencing portion until the following morning to be dealt with ex parte so he would be able to drive back to Brisbane in time for his flight home.
No conviction was recorded.
•
A P-plater must now walk to work for the next three months after being caught driving with meth in his system.
Jayden Michael Ingham, 21,pleaded guilty in Chinchilla Magistrates Court to drug driving.
Police prosecutor Chris Hutchins said on September 9 Dalby Highway Patrol intercepted Ingham for a drug test on Murilla St, Miles.
A drug certificate tendered to the court showed the presence of methamphetamine.
Ingham told the court he made a “dumb mistake”.
“Well obviously my actions have consequences, those mean walking to work for the next three months,” he said.
“I’d like to say I’ve learnt my lesson and I’m not going to do anything stupid again.
“No fun, no play for the next three months. Just walk to work and keep my head down.”
Acting magistrate Andrew Walker said he’s got “no problem people having fun”, but driving with drugs present in saliva was a different matter.
“We expect that young people may make silly mistakes, that’s the way you’re going to learn from it,” he said.
“Of course you’ve not done it in winter when it might be an easy walk, you’ve done it at the start of summer and you look fair-skinned so make sure you’ve got a hat on when you walk to work.”
Ingham was fined $350, referred to SPER, and disqualified from driving for the minimum three months.
No conviction was recorded.
•
A Western Downs man who had “one too many” beers has landed back in front of the court after 17 years.
Jack William Hancock pleaded guilty in Chinchilla Magistrates Court to drink driving over the general alcohol limit.
Police prosecutor Chris Hutchins said on September 19 police intercepted Hancock for a breath test on Murilla St, Miles.
The results indicated a 0.058 blood alcohol reading.
Mr Hutchins said the defendant only has a traffic history and one “extremely dated” like offence from 17 years ago.
“He’s so close to going under,” he said.
Hancock told the court he “won’t do it again”.
“I had one too many and I drove and I shouldn’t have,” he said.
He said he planned on taking holidays during his disqualification period so he didn’t have to apply for a work licence.
Acting magistrate Andrew Walker fined him $300, referred to SPER, and disqualified him from driving for the minimum one month.
No conviction was recorded.
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