List of offenders who pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court this week on drink, drug or unlicensed driving charges

Seven Gladstone locals have pleaded guilty to traffic offences ranging from drink or drug driving to operating a vehicle without a licence. Here’s what happened in court.

Gladstone drivers have been brought before the courts on a number of drug and alcohol related offences, while others were caught driving without a licence. Read what happened in court.

Snapshot:

• A 66-year-old drink-driver who crashed her car and then fled the scene while almost four times over the legal limit pleaded guilty.
• A 48-year-old man was intercepted by police for driving almost 50kms over the limit and then blew over the legal alcohol limit.
• An 18-year-old man was caught driving while over the legal limit (0.00%) while on his P-plates.

Read more about each of the seven guilty pleas our reporters covered in the Gladstone Magistrates Court this week, along with more driving offences in the Central Queensland region this week.

Connor Stephen Neill-Ballantine, 18, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court on Monday to drink driving while holding a provisional license.

Connor Stephen Neill-Ballantine, 18 pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court on Monday July 11. Picture: Social Media

Police prosecutor Jennifer Leach told the court the defendant was intercepted by police near Morcom Street, Calliope and subjected to a random breath test.

Neill-Ballantine, who only held a provisional license, had a blood-alcohol content (BAC) reading of .076.

Ms Leach said Neill-Ballantine told police he had consumed about four or five rums and was driving home after drinking as he lived nearby.

The defendant told Magistrate John Milburn “it wasn’t the safest thing to do” and accepted his behaviour was dangerous.

Neill-Ballantine was fined $350 and disqualified from obtaining a license for three months.

Steven John Brown, 48, pleaded guilty on Monday to drink driving.

Ms Leach said Brown was intercepted in a white Holden by police on June 15 after he was recorded travelling 147km in a 100 speed limit zone on the Bruce Highway, at Bororen.

He had a BAC of .057.

Brown told Mr Milburn he had consumed about four to five full-strength beer stubbies at Calliope and after waiting thought he would be right to drive.

He told the court there was “no excuses” and described his actions as a “rush of blood to the head” as he had just purchased a new home and was excited to arrive at the destination.

Brown was find $350 and disqualified from driving a vehicle for one month.

Margaret Rose Cox, 66, pleaded guilty to drink driving.

Ms Leach said Cox abandoned her vehicle in the middle of a Gladstone street after she was involved in a single vehicle crash while intoxicated at almost four times the legal limit.

She said Cox was driving along Bell St, Barney Point, about 7.40pm on May 4 when she crashed her blue sedan into a concrete bollard causing significant damage to the front of her vehicle and tyres.

Cox was then taken to Gladstone Hospital where she returned a BAC of .181.

Cox told Mr Milburn she was ashamed of her conduct, made no excuses, and that she had learnt her lesson.

Cox was fined $1200 and disqualified from driving for 13 months.

Frederick Bernard Ganaden, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of driving without a Queensland license (due to demerit point accumulation).

Ms Leach said Ganaden was intercepted by police in relation to other matters while driving a Mitsubishi Triton on the Bruce Highway, near Calliope on January 10 about 2pm.

At the time, the defendant was suspended from driving a vehicle between November 3, 2021, and February 3, 2022.

Ganaden was convicted and fined $300 as well as being disqualified from obtaining a Queensland license for six months.

Paul Edward Townsend, 67, pleaded guilty to drink driving.

Police prosecutor Kelvin Boyd said Townsend was intercepted by police on the Dawson Highway, near Calliope on May 7 about 2.25pm.

Townsend returned a BAC reading of .07 and admitted he had consumed three stubbies of full-strength beer in a short time of time before driving.

Defence lawyer Stacey O’Gorman said her client was sorry for his conduct and has now been “enlightened” that you need to count standard drinks, rather than number of beverages consumed.

Townsend, a third-generation truck driver, requested a work license to be able to continue his employment

, for 24-hours between Monday and Saturday due to his shift work.

Mr Milburn granted the work license for the designated MC class vehicle between place of residence and place of employment and to maintain a log book throughout the suspension period.

Townsend was fines $350 and disqualified from obtaining a driver’s license for two months.

Jaidyn Timothy Tibbits, 18, pleaded guilty to two counts of driving without a Queensland license (due to demerit point accumulation).

Jaidyn Timothy Tibbits, 18 pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court on Monday July 11. Picture: Social Media

Prosecutor Kelvin Boyd told the court Tibbets was intercepted driving on two separate dates in the Gladstone region while his licence was suspended.

Mr Boyd said Tibbits had been suspended from driving since April 27, but on June 20 at Oaka St, Gladstone, and on an earlier date on Herberton Rd, Calliope he was intercepted by police while driving.

Tibbits told the court he was sorry and took full responsibility for his actions, however, on the first charge he was unaware at the time that his license had been suspended.

He said at the time of the first offence he was unaware of the suspension because he had technical difficulties with his phone and email and did not open correspondence from the police or transport department.

Mr Milburn fined Tibbits $400 and disqualified him from obtaining a driver’s license for six months on each charge.

Tibbits was also ordered to pay $600 recognisance following the forfeiture of a bond in relation to previous offending.

Julie Lynette Seage, 38, pleaded guilty to the offence drug driving while holding a learner, probationary or provisional licence.

Julie Lynette Seage, 38, pleaded guilty in the Gladstone Magistrates Court on Tuesday July 12. Picture: Social Media

Prosecutor Boyd told the court that Seage was intercepted by police at 7.45pm on May 13 on the Dawson Highway at Calliope, while driving a white Mitsubishi Lancer.

After an initial positive test to presence of relevant drugs, the defendant was transported to Calliope Police Station for further testing.

Test results showed the presence of marijuana and methamphetamine in her blood or saliva.

Seage made admissions to police about smoking marijuana the night before driving, however, did not feel adversely affected by the substance the following day.

Defence lawyer Bianca Wieland said her client has since obtained a script for medicinal marijuana and due to ongoing health issues would face difficulty attending medical appointments if she was to lose her licence.

Ms Wieland said Seage was a mother of three children aged between 11 and 15 and she was a disability support pensioner.

She then conceded her client had a relevant criminal history pertaining to dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and drug driving.

Seage was convicted and fined $600 and disqualified from obtaining a driver’s license for four months.

MORE CRIME NEWS:

Here are some of the weekly traffic stats for the Capricornia District provided by the myPolice Gladstone Region social media page.

High Range BAC’s detected included:

– .194 Goondoon Street, Gladstone

– .192 Leydens Hill Road, Mt Morgan

– .176 Exhibition Road, Wandal

– .156 Fitzroy Street, Rockhampton

– .153 McLaughlin Street, Kawana

High speeds detected included:

– 156/100 Dawson Highway, Mt Alma

– 147/100 Kabra Road, Kabra

– 144/100 Bruce Highway, Iveragh

There were also 13 drug drivers picked up in the Gladstone Patrol group