Marcus Barsah fined $2k for driving offences at Gladstone
After police clocked a Central Queensland driver speeding, things got worse for him when he refused to comply with a roadside breath test.
Police & Courts
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A Central Queensland Ford driver who told police he didn’t need to comply with a roadside breath test has been hit with a big fine for a string of traffic offences.
Marcus Jack Barsah, 32, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court to charges including failing to provide a specimen of breath, obstructing police, unlicensed driving, false registration plates, speeding and breaching bail.
The court heard most of Barsah’s offending happened on October 24 last year when he was intercepted by police while driving on Gladstone’s Red Rover Rd.
It was told a mobile radar had clocked Barsah’s Ford Falcon, bearing false number plates, doing 93kmh in an 80kmh zone.
Police prosecutor Jennifer Leach said Barsah told police he did not have a driver’s licence and when he was required to do a roadside breath test, he failed to provide a specimen of breath saying: “No, I do not need to do that.”
Ms Leach said Barsah was told it was an offence not to comply and he was given further opportunities but he refused.
Barsah was arrested and asked to turn his car off and get out.
He refused and kept the car running while in park.
Ms Leach said Barsah was told to open the door of the car but he refused.
She said Barsah then tried to use the vehicle’s “child stop” mechanism to prevent an arrest.
The court heard that later, Barsah provided a sample of breath which returned a zero blood alcohol reading.
Barsah’s criminal and traffic records were both two pages and he had previous obstructing police offending on his history.
Ms Leach said fines were still in range for Barsah.
A self-represented Barsah told Magistrate Edwina Rowan that he didn’t want to saying anything about these offences.
She asked him what he did for work and he replied: “No comment.”
Ms Rowan fined Barsah $2000 and disqualified him from driving for six months.
Convictions were recorded.
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