Western Downs drink or drug drivers sentenced in court

From an unsupervised learner driver who crashed into a fence while nearly three times the alcohol limit to an unlicensed woman busted with meth in her system, these are the region’s latest badly-behaved drivers. See the full list:

An unsupervised learner driver who smashed through a paddock while nearly three times the alcohol limit was just one of the drivers sentenced in the latest sittings of Western Downs courts.

Here are the other drivers nabbed for having drugs or too much alcohol in their system while behind the wheel.

A man who was caught drink driving after he was kicked out of a pub and then stood outside a woman’s home in “bizarre” behaviour has fronted Chinchilla court.

Thomas Andrew Hayes was kicked out of the hotel multiple times after he kept sneaking back in.

He was then witnessed being aggressive toward staff before driving along the Warrego Highway on July 23.

Police prosecutor Chris Hutchins said a Chinchilla woman checked her front yard when she heard the 27-year-old pull up in a ute, and then went back inside.

Her dogs began barking shortly after and when she check again she saw Hayes standing next to her car.

Police were called and breath tested the Roma man, where he returned a blood alcohol concentration of 0.161.

“It’s bizarre behaviour that can only be put down to him being intoxicated,” Sergeant Hutchins said.

Hayes said it was completely out of character and he was only travelling through town from his fly-in, fly-out job.

He pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and was fined $1050 and disqualified from driving for six months.

• 
  

A man with a “terrible traffic history” has faced the magistrate after being busted driving with meth and marijuana in his system just weeks after an outburst over a cheating scandal.

Scott Anthony Campbell was also found with 0.1g of marijuana and was driving an uninsured and unregistered car in Bowenville.

A couple of weeks prior, the Ipswich man smashed the window of a unit he claimed he saw his wife enter with another man.

The 46-year-old told the court he wasn’t able to afford to renew his registration and had taken number plates off a different vehicle to use.

Campbell pleaded guilty to possessing drugs, drug driving, wilful damage, and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle.

He was fined $1200 and ordered to pay compensation of $145 for the broken window. His licence was also disqualified for three months.

• 
  

A man who has never held a licence was pulled over twice in a matter of weeks for illegally cruising around on a motorbike, on one occasion hitting the road after drinking alcohol.

Anthony John Morgan was of three people driving off-road motorbikes on a main street in Chinchilla on July 19.

The court heard this was the 24-year-old’s second time in one month being pulled over while unlicensed and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle.

The Chinchilla recorded a BAC of 0.047.

Morgan pleaded guilty to drink driving, unlicensed driving and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle.

He was fined $1200 and disqualified from driving for six months.

• 
  

No conviction recorded

An unsupervised learner driver who ploughed into a fence while nearly three times the legal limit was spotted doing burnouts just moments before his crash.

The court heard Dylan William Doelz was spotted doing “burnouts” in his white ute before driving through a wire fence on Price St. Chinchilla on July 23.

The key was still in the ignition when police arrived and the 19-year-old, who recorded a BAC of 0.145, admitted being unsupervised.

A subsequent search of his home uncovered 4.1g of marijuana in clipseal bags and a bong and grinder.

Lawyer Claire Graham said her client claimed he was under stress at the time and has since stopped using the drug.

“Had he known the person who owns the fence, he would offer his labour to have it fixed,” she said.

Doelz pleaded guilty to drink driving on a learner’s licence, driving without a supervisor, possessing drugs and utensils, and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle.

He was fined $850, ordered to pay $583 restitution to the owner of the fence.

No conviction was recorded.

• 
  

A P-plater who is now on her third drug driving offence in five years has walked from court without a conviction recorded, despite being nabbed behind the wheel with ice in her system.

Katelyn Raine Holley handed herself into police on July 9 over a string of drug and vehicle-related offences, and after failing to appear in court on two occasions.

Police prosecutor Chris Hutchins said the 26-year-old was was pulled over for a random drug test in Dalby on April 5 and tested positive to meth.

Police searched the woman’s car where they found a clip seal bag with 0.017g of the drug in the centre console.

A few weeks later the Dalby woman was pulled over again and told police she had smoked “two cones” before driving.

She tested positive for meth and weed and at the time was disqualified from driving.

“There’s clearly an issue with drugs,” Sergeant Hutchins told the court.

“If she wants to address it, then today’s the day.”

Holley pleaded guilty to two counts of drug driving, one each of possessing drugs and driving without a licence, and two of failing to appear in court.

She was placed on probation for six months and disqualified from driving for nine months.
No conviction was recorded.