Laidley man caught driving 5x legal limit ‘getting nappies’

IN COURT: A Laidley man was busted driving more than five times the legal alcohol limit after he went out to buy nappies.

A Laidley man was busted driving more than five times the legal alcohol limit after he went out to buy nappies.

A Laidley man who drove five times over the legal alcohol limit to buy nappies has been told his repeat offence would be the last before a prison sentence.

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Mark Alexander Aaron Blasdall was caught driving in Laidley on November 28 not only for drunk driving, but also driving without a licence due to a court disqualification.

In the Gatton Magistrates Court on Monday, February 22, police prosecutor senior sergeant Al Windsor said police intercepted Blasdall driving on Cunningham Ave, Laidley.

After conducting an RBT on, on November 28, 2020, police conveyed Blasdall to the Laidley Police Station where he submitted a specimen of breath for analysis.

He returned a reading of 0.254 - more than five times the legal blood alcohol limit of 0.05.

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Further inquiries by police found Blassdall was unlicensed at the time after he was disqualified from driving for seven months.

Blasdall represented himself in court and said he was going out at the time "to get nappies" for his daughter.

"I know I was in the wrong," Blasdall said.

He told Magistrate Peter Saggers he was currently out of work after he was formerly employed as a meat worker in the Lockyer Valley.

Magistrate Saggers described the reading as "ridiculously high" and told Blassdall if he committed the same offence again and was to hurt someone he would go to prison "for a very long time".

Magistrate Saggers said Blassdall had been before the court on multiple occasions for the same offence.

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In 2020, he was caught driving more than twice the legal limit at 0.114, again in 2015, at 0.151 and again in 2014, at 0.179.

Blasdall pleaded guilty to two charges - driving under the influence of alcohol and driving without a driver's licence due to a disqualification from a court order.

"You are getting very close to a term of imprisonment," Mr Saggers said.

Magistrate Saggers sentenced Blasdall to 18 months probation.

He was ordered to undertake 100 hours of unpaid community service within the next 12 months.

He also ordered Blasdall to attend programs to address his use of alcohol and counselling including Drug Arm, EACH Drug and Alcohol Counselling and AODS services.

"You are getting down to your last chance," Magistrate Saggers said.

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Blasdall was suspended from holding a drivers licence for a total of three years.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Laidley man caught driving 5x legal limit ‘getting nappies’