Aaron Christopher Whitchurch sentenced in Dalby Magistrates Court after refusing police drug test

A man who refused a drug test and engaged in a spat with police has been sentenced in the Dalby Magistrates Court. Find out more.

A Western Downs man refused to conduct a drug test when stopped by police out of fear his medical cannabis use would cause him to fail. Picture: NCA NewsWire

A 48-year-old Dalby man has landed himself in court after a heated argument with police over a drug test.

Aaron Christopher Whitchurch appeared in Dalby Magistrates Court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to failing to provide breath for analysis and obstructing police.

The court was told on June 6 Whitchurch was pulled over for a routine breath test, but the interaction quickly got off to a bad start when Whitchurch believed he was being unfairly targeted based on prior convictions.

What started as mild frustration quickly escalated when Whitchurch started swearing at police before he was taken to the station to provide a breath test, which he refused.

Police prosecutor Chris Hutchinson said he had viewed the bodyworn camera footage of police and noted that while he was frustrated, Whitchurch had initially somewhat complied and said police had not handled the situation particularly well with all parties “getting off on the wrong foot and becoming frustrated early”.

He further said if he had been in the police’s situation he would’ve handled it differently and allowed Whitchurch another chance to provide breath before charging him with obstruction, describing him as “not behaving well but not particularly bad”.

Sergeant Hutchinson also told the court Whitchurch was not being unfairly targeted as the arresting officer was new to the region and would have had no idea about his history.

The court was told Whitchurch was prescribed medical marijuana for pre-existing injuries and had panicked knowing it would show up on the breath test.

Whitchurch’s lawyer said his client had a history with anger management issues which he was attempting to work through and had been on edge that day after finding out his partner had been diagnosed with cancer.

Acting magistrate Robert Turra described the offending as “not the most serious case of obstruct police” he had seen.

Whitchurch was sentenced to a mandatory six month loss of licence for failing to provide a breath test and was fined $300. No conviction was recorded.