NAMED: 3 drink/drug drivers face Gladstone court

One man drove to get toilet paper and another rode in circles while under the influence of marijuana, after causing a disturbance at a victim’s house.

From a man who drove over the limit to get toilet paper, to a trespassing cyclist who rode in the middle of the street while stoned, three people faced the Gladstone Magistrates Court for drink or drug driving on February 7.

Patrick Fraser - 0.058

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Carl Spargo said police pulled over Fraser’s car on Dalrymple Street at 5.08pm on December 16, 2021.

He said Fraser had an alcohol reading of .058.

Representing himself, Fraser told the court he had a tooth pulled out at the dentist the day before and hadn’t eaten anything.

He said he had three beers the next day.

“I think not eating had a bit to do with it,” he said.

Fraser pleaded guilty to driving over the general alcohol limit and was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for one month.

Acting magistrate John Milburn said the protection of the community was ‘paramount’ when considering a sentence.

Christian Marsh Benedetti - .059

The 49-year-old was pulled over just shy of an hour after Fraser, and was found to have had an alcohol reading of .059, the court heard.

Constable Spargo said he told police that he consumed four bourbons before driving.

Benedetti came to court with no traffic history since 2011.

Defence solicitor Ainsley Frost told the court that Benedetti instructed he had no toilet paper, so decided to drive to get some.

But Ms Frost said he wouldn’t have driven if he knew he was over the limit.

Mr Milburn said people should ‘take the conservative option’ when deciding whether to drive.

Benedetti pleaded guilty to driving over the general alcohol limit and was fined $350, disqualified from driving for three months and was granted a restricted work licence.

Xander Stephen Richard Crowe

Xander Stephen Richard Crowe - Cyclist the influence of marijuana

Constable Spargo said Crowe, 19, was at a Barney Point address yelling verbal abuse such as ‘go back inside you old c--t’ on January 25, breaching bail as a result.

At 7.50pm that day, he was found riding a bicycle in circles on the middle of the road, without a helmet.

Constable Spargo said Crowe’s ‘eyes were drooping’ and he told police that he was stoned.

Crowe also went to a victim’s address on January 1 and hit a ute with timber and turned off a powerbox while yelling ‘old cow’ and ‘sl--’, while the victim locked herself inside.

Police submitted for a community service sentence.

The court heard Crowe was on probation at the time for a serious assault of police.

Defence solicitor Pierre Lammersdorf said his client grew up disadvantaged in foster care and only had ‘sporadic’ employment.

Mr Lammersdorf said there was no breach of probation with these offences.

Mr Milburne said he acted in a way that was ‘unsavoury’.

He told Crowe that his community service and rehabilitation rested on his shoulders.

Crowe pleaded guilty to public nuisance, trespass, breach of bail, driving in charge of non-motor vehicle under the influence, and failing to wear a helmet.

Mr Milburn convicted but not further punished for the helmet offence, and sentenced Crowe to 50 hours of community service for the other offences.

Convictions were not recorded and Crowe was not disqualified from driving.