Learner Nuer Deng caught drink driving twice in two months at Gladstone

A learner driver who blew .174 on a highway in the Gladstone region got caught drink driving again less than two months later with an even higher reading.

A learner driver returned a blood alcohol reading of .174 on a highway in the Gladstone region. Generic image.

A learner driver busted high-range drink driving twice in the space of as many months in the Gladstone region, has faced court to get her punishment.

Nuer Deng Pach Deng, 29, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court on April 3 to two counts of drink driving, disqualified driving, and driving an uninsured and unregistered vehicle.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Merrilyn Hoskins said Deng’s first drink driving offence happened on December 23 last year.

Sgt Hoskins said that at 7.55am, police were patrolling the Bruce Highway at Raglan when they intercepted Deng.

Sgt Hoskins said Deng showed officers her Queensland learner’s permit and told them she had been drinking wine that morning.

After a random breath test, Deng returned a blood alcohol reading of .174.

Then on February 16 this year, police saw Deng behind the wheel of the same car which had no registration plates attached on Shaw Street, Gladstone.

Sgt Hoskins said officers saw Deng attempting to reverse out of a car park.

The court heard Deng’s vehicle was unregistered and uninsured and due to her December drink driving positive, her learner’s licence was disqualified.

Sgt Hoskins said Deng told officers that she had drunk “most of” a 1.25L bottle of Canadian Club the night before.

“She finished (drinking) around 7am that morning and then she said she was going to get food and more alcohol, and then she’d be driving home,” Sgt Hoskins said.

After an RBT, Deng returned a blood alcohol reading of .190.

The court heard Deng had no previous drink driving offences on her one-page traffic history.

A self-represented Deng said at the time of her offending she was “going through a really tough time” and had turned to alcohol after the death of a family member.

Deng said she was now undergoing therapy and her medication had been adjusted.

“And I want to apologise for putting other people’s lives in danger,” Deng told Acting Magistrate Mary Buchanan.

Ms Buchanan placed Deng on 12 months’ probation and fined her $400.

Deng was also disqualified from driving for three years and nine months.