Gladstone man said he ‘hadn’t eaten’ and ‘had four beers’ before police interception
An empty stomach and a few beers spelled trouble for a Gladstone man.
Police & Courts
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An empty stomach plus beer equalled trouble for a Gladstone man who was busted drink driving.
Michael Keith Levings, 56, on Tuesday pleaded guilty in the Gladstone Magistrates Court to drink driving.
On June 17, around 4.30pm, police were patrolling Off Lane, South Gladstone when they observed a Ford Falcon accelerate heavily.
The car appeared to be speeding and was directed to pull over.
The driver told police the throttle got stuck open after the car went into ‘limp mode’.
Police identified Levings as the driver and sole occupant of the car and conducted a roadside breath test.
Levings was detained and transported to the Gladstone station for breath analysis, which returned a second positive result with a reading of 0.139 per cent.
When questioned, Levings said he had not eaten in ‘a while’ and had consumed four beers before getting behind the wheel.
A court heard Levings’ breath smelt of liquor and his speech was impaired.
Levings was issued with a notice to appear in the Gladstone Magistrates Court and served with an immediate drivers licence suspension.
Acting Magistrate John Milburn said given Levings’ concerning traffic history, which included like offences, his only choice was to impose a harsh penalty.
Levings was convicted and fined $600 and suspended from driving for three months with a conviction recorded.
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