Jason Lee Friske in court for high range drink driving

A repeat drink driver has told a court his decision to drink and then get behind the wheel followed a series of family tragedies.

Jason Lee Friske pleaded guilty to own count of high range drink driving when he faced Maryborough Magistrates Court on Monday.

A man “fell off the wagon” after losing five relatives in 12 months and visiting his mother’s grave.

He then drove his car on the Isis Highway with a blood alcohol reading of .337 per cent.

Jason Lee Friske, of Gayndah, pleaded guilty to high range drink driving when he faced Maryborough Magistrates Court on Monday, January 8.

The court heard on December 5, 2023, at 5.48pm police were called out to assist paramedics who had located Friske intoxicated in the driver’s seat of his vehicle.

When a breath test was carried out, Friske returned a positive reading of .337 per cent, the court heard.

Friske had dated history with similar high readings, the court was told.

Duty lawyer Morgan Harris said Friske was unemployed and receiving Centrelink payments.

He had been heavily intoxicated that day, had not eaten anything and had taken medication.

In 2023, Friske had suffered five deaths within his family and just prior to being apprehended by police, he had been to see his mother’s gravesite, Mr Harris said.

He had acknowledged alcohol was a problem for him, Mr Harris said.

Jason Lee Friske pleaded guilty to high range drink driving when he faced Maryborough Magistrates Court on Monday.

In February 2023, he had engaged a psychiatrist in relation to alcohol abuse and dependence.

But due to the deaths in his family and visiting his mother’s grave, he had “fell off the wagon again” and started drinking heavily, Mr Harris said.

Magistrate John Milburn said Friske had been behind the wheel on the Isis Highway when he returned an “extraordinarily high blood alcohol reading”.

“You placed yourself in extreme danger, not only through the level of alcohol itself, but also the fact that you were behind the wheel and you placed members of our community at risk.

“Protecting the Queensland community is a paramount consideration.”

Friske’s desire to continue with his efforts towards rehabilitation was also relevant, Mr Milburn said.

“Paradoxically you drank and put yourself in that dangerous position of causing great harm to yourself and others, including death, as a result of the death of others,” Mr Milburn said.

“It’s important for you and our community that you develop appropriate means of dealing with that for fear of another occurrence.

“Your history is littered with drink driving offences and some are also of very high readings - over .3 in 2014, over .2 in 2010 and previous matters including back as far as 1995.”

Friske was disqualified from holding a driver’s licence for 15 months.

He was placed on probation for 18 months.

A conviction was recorded.

Maryborough Court House. Photo: Valerie Horton/ Fraser Coast Chronicle.

Sean Christopher Willis

A Mungar man thrown from the window of a car self-medicated with meth after being treated for his injuries in hospital, and his decision would later result in him being charged with drug driving.

Sean Christopher Willis pleaded guilty to one count of drug driving when he faced Maryborough Magistrates Court on Monday.

The court heard at 4.21am on August 20, Willis returned a positive result for meth after being stopped by police.

Duty lawyer Morgan Harris said Willis was receiving a carer’s pension, as he was caring for his father, who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Mr Harris said Willis had only been released from hospital two days before the incident after he had been thrown out of the window of a car.

He’d been flown to hospital to be treated for injuries as a result of the incident, the court was told.

Mr Harris said Willis had been in pain after being released from hospital and had no strong painkillers left, which resulted in him making the decision to self-medicate with meth.

Willis was fined $350 and a conviction was recorded.

He was disqualified from driving for one month.

Anthony Gary Mason

A truck driver busted with cannabis in his system has been disqualified from driving for one month.

Anthony Gary Mason pleaded guilty to one count of drug driving when he faced Maryborough Magistrates Court on Monday.

The court heard at 3.05am on November 10, Mason was stopped by police and returned a positive result for cannabis.

Duty lawyer Morgan Harris said Mason had no relevant traffic history.

He said his client had been working as a truck driver for seven years and had been subject to regular drug testing at the start and beginning of journeys and in-between.

Mr Harris said Mason acknowledged it was a “stupid mistake” that would cost him his livelihood for a period of time.

Magistrate John Milburn said he accepted the impact the loss of his licence would have for Mason.

He said cannabis was a drug that could stay in one’s system for some time.

“I urge you to discontinue your association with that drug, particularly if you intend to drive,” he said.

Mason was fined $350 and a conviction was recorded.

He was disqualified from holding a licence for one month.