Hervey Bay and Maryborough drink or drug drivers in court

Drink or drug drivers across the Fraser Coast have been sentenced this week, with one repeat offender warned he was “sailing close” to jail. SEE THE LIST.

A P-plater, mother-of-four and an electrician were among those who faced the Hervey Bay and Maryborough Magistrates Courts this week for drink or drug driving offences.

See the full list of offenders:

Drink drivers

‘I stuffed up’ says repeat offender

A repeat drink driver came to the attention of police when he went through a traffic light in Maryborough after a night out at a local pub.

Treigh Darnell Nothdurft, 23, pleaded guilty to drink driving when he faced Maryborough Magistrates Court on Wednesday, August 17.

The court heard in the early hours of the morning, a Toyota Landcruiser being driven by Nothdurft was seen by police going through a traffic light on Bazaar St.

The P-plater was stopped by police and underwent a roadside breath test.

Treigh Darnell Nothdurft, 23, pleaded guilty to drink driving when he faced Maryborough Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

Nothdurft admitted to drinking five to eight Wild Turkey drinks at the Old Sydney Hotel that night before getting behind the wheel.

He returned a reading of .106 per cent.

The court heard Nothdurft had been convicted of drink driving on three prior occasions.

Nothdurft admitted his mistake, saying “I stuffed up big time”.

Magistrate Kurt Fowler warned that with a history of drink driving, Nothdurft was “starting to sail very close” to imprisonment.

He was fined $900 and was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

A conviction was recorded.

Drink driver busted laying by side of road next to car

When police found a man lying on the side of the road next to his vehicle, they knew something was amiss.

George Donaldson, 70, pleaded guilty to one count of drink driving when he appeared before Maryborough Magistrates Court this week.

The court heard police were in Bauple Drive, Bauple, when they noticed a Nissan stopped in the middle of the lane.

Donaldson was lying beside the vehicle and when he was approached by police, he told them he was feeling unwell.

Police could smell liquor on the Glenwood man, the court heard.

He later returned a reading of .148 per cent.

The court heard earlier in the evening he had driven an acquaintance to a shopping centre in Gympie, and later consumed pre-mixed beverages.

“I would like to apologise to the court for being over the limit,” he said.

Donaldson was fined $750 and was disqualified from driving for five months.

A conviction was recorded.

Security flags down police to report drink driver

Police were flagged down by security at a Maryborough hotel after a customer, who had been drinking, drove off.

Lionel James Irving pleaded guilty in Maryborough Magistrates Court to drink driving.

The court heard police were stopped by security after Irving left the hotel and police pulled him over on Richmond St.

Irving was driving to another venue to pick up friends when he was stopped, the court was told.

He returned a reading of .072 per cent.

Irving told the court he worked full-time and wanted to apply for a work licence.

Magistrate Kurt Fowler said Irving’s guilty plea would be recorded and the matter would be adjourned to allow him to apply for a work licence.

The case was adjourned until September 14.

Empty stomach blamed for reading

A man has told a court that missing dinner led to him going over the alcohol limit.

Michael Robert Selmes pleaded guilty to drink driving when he faced Maryborough Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

The court head about 7pm on July 28, 2022, police were in Alice St when they stopped Selmes, who was driving a ute.

The Aldershot man returned a reading of .099 per cent.

Selmes said he only had a couple of drinks, but he hadn’t eaten since lunchtime, or drunk much water.

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

‘Blurring words’

After drinking beer and gin, a Maryborough woman got behind the wheel intending to drive to Gympie.

But her manner of driving quickly alerted police to her intoxicated state.

Carol Anne Pavey pleaded guilty to drink driving when she appeared before Maryborough Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

The court heard she was stopped by police on August 3, 12.05am on Gympie Rd in Tinana.

Carol Anne Pavey pleaded guilty to drink driving when she appeared before Maryborough Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

When Pavey was stopped by police, they could smell liquor and she was blurring her words, the court was told.

Pavey returned a reading of .198 per cent.

She apologised to the court for her “foolish actions”, saying she had been experiencing “personal conflict” leading up to the incident.

“It was a silly, spontaneous decision,” Ms Pavey said.

Pavey was fined $1000 and she was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

A conviction was recorded.

Drink driver busted riding dirt bike unregistered for seven years

Riding a dirt bike that had not been registered in more than seven years, while under the influence of alcohol, has landed a Maryborough man before court.

Micheal Donald Looby, 45, pleaded guilty to drink driving, driving an unregistered vehicle and driving an uninsured vehicle when he faced Maryborough Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

The court heard Looby was stopped by police on Pallas St, Maryborough, about 2.35am on July 2.

When he was spoken to by the officers, he admitted to drinking earlier in the evening.

Looby returned a reading of .121 per cent.

Checks carried out by police revealed the dirt bike had not been registered in more than seven years and it was uninsured.

Looby told the court he had been under a lot of pressure and riding the dirt bike had presented an outlet.

He said he regretted doing it.

Looby was fined $800 and was disqualified from driving for five months.

Convictions were recorded.

Massage business owner consumed ‘full strength beers’ before driving

Thanaporn Fraser, 54, pleaded guilty in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court on Thursday to driving under the influence of liquor.

The court heard Fraser was driving on Denman Camp Road in Kawungan at the time.

Sergeant Claire Bibby told the court around 11.40pm on July 25, 2022, Fraser was stopped by police for a roadside breath test and was taken to the police station for further testing.

She returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.202, the court heard.

Fraser’s defence lawyer told the court her client had consumed “full strength beers” at a friends house without having much to eat that evening, and did not wish to offer “any excuses” for her actions.

The court heard Fraser owned a massage business in Hervey Bay and had no relevant history of drink driving.

Magistrate Trinity McGarvie told the court it was “significant reading”.

Fraser was fined $1000 and disqualified from driving for 10 months.

A conviction was recorded.

‘Stupid decision’: Electrician drink drives after argument with partner

Limbie Larryza Kelegai, 32, pleaded guilty in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court on Thursday to driving under the influence of liquor and driving a motor vehicle other than as allowed under an interlock condition.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Claire Bibby told the court around 2.30pm on June 4, 2022, police saw a car in Pialba parked at an “obscure angle” across a nature strip with the driver’s door “wide open”.

Sergeant Bibby said police also saw “fresh wheel tracks” in the grass leading to the car.

Limbie Larryza Kelegai appeared in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court on Thursday for driving under the influence of liquor.

Kelegai initially denied driving, but eventually told police that he had driven the car from his house after a “disagreement with his partner”, Sergeant Bibby said.

After a completing a roadside breath test and further testing, Kelegai returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.152.

The court heard Kelegai was also subject to an interlock period until April 4, 2023, and the car was not fitted with an interlock system.

Kelegai, who represented himself in court, said he left the house after a disagreement with his partner, but had pulled over on the side on the road so he could get a lift.

He said he understood he should not have been “behind the wheel” and it was a “stupid decision”.

Kelegai works as an electrician and has two children.

Magistrate Trinity McGarvie told Kelegai it was his “second major reading” in the last five years, highlighting he was before the courts in 2020 for “being over the high alcohol limit”.

Kelegai was given a $1200 fine and disqualified from driving for nine months for driving under the influence of liquor.

For the other charge, he was disqualified from driving for three months.

A conviction was recorded.

Drug drivers

Drug driver claims drink was spiked over dinner

A man has claimed his drink was spiked after he tested positive to cannabis and meth during a roadside test.

Andrew David Drane pleaded guilty to drug driving when he faced Maryborough Magistrates Court this week.

The court heard Drane was stopped on Walker St when he returned a positive result.

Drane told the court he did not know how he had tested positive and suspected that drugs may have been placed into his drink when he and his wife were out for dinner.

He was fined $300 and he was disqualified from driving for a month.

A conviction was recorded.

Meth driver fronts court for two offences

Tammie Lee Owen, 26, pleaded guilty in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court on Thursday to two charges of driving while a relevant drug was present in her salvia.

The court heard meth was found in her saliva on both occasions.

Magistrate Trinity McGarvie told the court the first offence occurred on April 10, 2022, in Pialba and the second offence was in Point Vernon on June 22, 2022.

Tammie Lee Owen appeared in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court on Thursday for two charges of driving while a relevant drug was present in her saliva.

Sergeant Claire Bibby said around 11.20pm on April 10, 2022, Owen was stopped by police for a roadside drug test and consequently taken to the Hervey Bay Police Station for further testing.

She said Owen made admissions to police officers about “recent drug use”, and a breath analysis revealed the presence of a drug in her saliva.

On a separate occasion around 2.30pm on June 22, 2022, Owen was stopped by police for another roadside drug test which also returned a positive result, the court heard.

Owen, who represented herself in court, said she had a “night out” a few days prior.

The court heard Owen was a single mother of four children.

For the first offence, Owen was fined $400 and disqualified from holding a drivers license for one month.

She was also fined $600 for the second offence and disqualified from holding a driver's license for two months.

A conviction was recorded.