Steele David Hemmings in court for disqualified driving, obstruct police
A bricklayer with a ‘troubling history’ ended up handcuffed and on the ground after police caught him doing something he should not have been doing.
Police & Courts
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A 26-year-old father with a “troubling history” of disqualified driving faced court on a string of offences on Thursday, December 1, 2022.
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Steele David Hemmings pleaded guilty in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court to driving while disqualified, obstructing police, possessing drugs and possessing a glass pipe used in connection with smoking drugs.
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Police prosecutor Kim Harwood said on June 8, about 7.45pm, police were doing patrols at Granville when they saw a car parked on the side of the road.
When police approached the car, which was running, Hemmings was sitting in the driver’s seat eating McDonalds, Sgt Harwood said.
He was the only person in the car at the time.
A licence check revealed that Hemmings had been disqualified from driving on August 6, 2020, for two years, Sgt Harwood said.
The court heard when Hemmings was questioned by police, he denied driving the car, and said a mate had driven a couple of hours prior and he was just waiting for him to return.
Officers became suspicious that Hemmings had driven the car.
They called the registered owner of the vehicle, Hemmings’ girlfriend, who said Hemmings had taken the car when he left the address alone that evening.
Sgt Harwood told the court Hemmings was then asked to step out of the car for a pat down search.
During that search, he was not compliant and was placed in handcuffs, Sgt Harwood said.
After seeing a silhouette of a “solid object” halfway down his pants, a glass pipe fell to the ground.
Hemmings stomped on the pipe, causing it to break, and then obstructed police by “pushing back” towards them aggressively, Sgt Harwood said.
He was restrained on the ground until more police arrived.
The court heard when police searched the car, 14.63g of cannabis was found in a glass jar under the driver’s seat and Hemmings was taken to the Maryborough watchouse.
Sgt Harwood told the court that Hemmings was on a suspended sentence at the time.
Duty lawyer Justin Geldard said his client had gone to get groceries for the family that night and stopped at McDonalds on the way back, but noted it was not an excuse.
The court heard Hemmings had a two-year-old son, was a qualified bricklayer and had recently worked for a construction company.
Magistrate Trinity McGarvie told Hemmings that he had a “troubling history of disqualified driving” and was last before the court for similar offending on August 6, 2020.
For driving while disqualified by court order, Hemmings was sentenced to two months jail and disqualified from driving for two years, which was ordered to be served cumulatively with his other disqualification.
He was given one month jail for possessing a dangerous drug, seven days jail for possessing a utensil and 14 days jail for obstructing police.
All jail terms were ordered to be served concurrently with immediate parole.
The remaining balance of his suspended sentence, 10 months and 17 days jail, was also invoked.
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