NAMED: Dalby’s drink/drug drivers sentenced in court

A woman who crashed her car after smoking ice and a man caught drink driving and armed with ammunition are just two of the people that were sentenced in Dalby court this week. FULL LIST:

A woman who crashed her vehicle after smoking ice the prior evening is just one of the people sentenced in Dalby Magistrates Court recently.

A woman who crashed her vehicle after smoking ice the prior evening is just one of the people sentenced in Dalby Magistrates Court recently.

Emma Davis crashed her car on Dalby-Cecil Plains Road on January 31.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Chris Hutchins told the court Davis smoked meth the night before and told police she didn’t realise it would still be in her system.

Davis, who was taken to hospital for injuries from the accident, said she hadn’t touched drugs since.

“I was just having a bad week, I was silly and I knew I did wrong,”

Davis pleaded guilty to drug driving and was fined $400 and disqualified from driving for six weeks, no conviction was recorded.

Emma Davis – Facebook

Julie-Ann Rees thought it best her learner-driver son take the wheel when she had a little too much to drink.

The 44-year-old was in the passenger seat as her son drove on March 18, with the mother recording a BAC of 0.069.

Magistrate O’Callaghan noted Rees’ lack of criminal history and said her decision appeared out of character.

Rees pleaded guilty to being in charge of a vehicle while over the general alcohol limit and was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for one month, no conviction was recorded.

Convictions recorded

Neville John Franklin told police he was trying to save his partner from burglars when he was busted driving his defective Holden Rodeo while more than twice the alcohol limit.

Just before 9am on September 17, police noticed the vehicle had no registration plates and broken tail lights.

The vehicle also hadn’t been registered since 2010, and had a range of vehicle defects such as a cracked windscreen and the driver’s seat not properly attached.

Franklin recorded a blood alcohol concentration of 0.114.

Lawyer Julia Molloy told the court Franklin knew he was breaking the law when he drove under the influence of alcohol however was concerned for his partner’s safety at their property.

“His partner was at the property by herself and previously there had been armed men breaking into the property.”

Ms Molloy said it took police two hours to reach their property during a previous incident, and Franklin didn’t want to risk it again.

Franklin was also found to have rifle rounds in his pocket when stopped by police, with the man saying he found them at the dump and wanted to turn them into jewellery.

Magistrate Kerrie O’Callaghan chastised the Dalby man for his “terrible traffic history”.

Franklin pleaded guilty to drink driving, driving unlicensed, driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle, possessing ammunition and failing to appear.

He was sentenced to two months’ jail, which was wholly suspended for nine months, and fined $500. He was also banned from driving for two years and three months.

“If you drive disqualified, you can expect to do some time,” Ms O’Callaghan said.

Neville John Franklin – Facebook

• 
  

A serial drug abuser faced the court this week after being busted driving with meth in his system twice in little over a month.

Shane Anthony Farnham was intercepted by police on January 18 and February 27 for drug tests, where each time he tested positive to ice.

Sergeant Hutchins said these latest offences accounted for Farnham’s third and fourth drug-related charges.

“He was also given 18 months’ imprisonment in relation to drugs in 2020.”

Lawyer Michael McElhinney said the 32-year-old was moving to Chinchilla to get himself a job and try to detox, and was considering engaging in counselling.

Farnham pleaded guilty to two charges of drug driving and was placed on probation for six months.

Shane Anthony Farnham – Facebook

• 
  

When Tara Lee Jones was pulled over for a roadside breath test she came up with a BAC of 0.056, just over the general alcohol limit.

Sergeant Hutchins said it was unfortunate Jones had one prior drink driving charge.

Jones blamed poor judgment for the error.

“I was silly, I thought I’d be okay. I had just moved house and had to go back and do some stuff.”

Jones pleaded guilty to drink driver and was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for three months.

• 
  

William Edward Poole represented himself at Dalby Magistrates Court after being busted driving while more than twice the legal limit.

Poole returned a BAC of 0.121 and pleaded guilty to drink driving.

He was fined $600 and disqualified from driving for four months.