Joseph Roy Bonnick in court for high range drink driving

An ex-carpenter with a shocking history of drunk driving has been busted again - this time at a popular Fraser Coast park.

Joeseph Roy Bonnick leaves Hervey Bay Magistrate Court on Thursday, January 18, 2024.

A Urangan carpenter has somehow avoided actual jail time after being convicted of his fifth high range drink driving offence.

Joseph Roy Bonnick, 57, pleaded guilty in Hervey Bay Magistrate’s Court on Thursday to driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.297 per cent.

At 7.50pm on December 7, 2023, Bonnick was driving his silver sports sedan when he was pulled over by police in Dayman Park, Urangan.

He was transferred to Hervey Bay police station where he undertook a blood alcohol test which came back with a reading of 0.297, nearly six times the legal limit.

He admitted to police to having consumed six full standard beers over four hours before driving his vehicle.

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Joseph Roy Bonnick leaves Hervey Bay Magistrate Court on Thursday, January 18, 2024.

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This was the fifth time Bonnick had been caught high range drink driving, with previous readings of 0.235 in 2015, 0.249 in 2010, 0.237 in 2004 and 0.238 in 2002.

Duty lawyer Virginia Ukpabi said her client used to be a carpenter but due to a chronic back injury he had to give it up and was now on Jobseeker receiving $802.50 a fortnight.

Magistrate Trinity McGarvie described Bonnick's behaviour as “deplorable” and said a hefty punishment must be handed out “as it is necessary to stop you give your troubling traffic history”.

Mrs McGarvie sentenced Bonnick to four months imprisonment, suspended for nine months.

He was also disqualified from holding a driver's licence for 18 months.

A conviction was recorded.