Rochelle Dunlea faces Gladstone court for traffic blunder

A retail manager who drank two litres of wine before making a bad traffic blunder has faced a Gladstone court to get her punishment.

Rochelle Emma Dunlea, 40, faced Gladstone Magistrates Court on February 27, 2023.

A retail manager who drank two litres of wine before allowing a learner to drive them to their destination has faced court.

Rochelle Emma Dunlea, 40, pleaded guilty in Gladstone Magistrates Court on February 27 to being in charge of a motor vehicle while over the middle alcohol limit.

The court heard that on February 3 at 5.10pm, Dunlea was a front seat passenger in a Holden Commodore being driven by a male learner’s licence holder.

Police intercepted the vehicle on the Dawson Highway at Calliope and Dunlea submitted a roadside breath test which returned a positive reading.

The court heard that Dunlea told police she drank two litres of wine between midnight and 4am that day.

Dunlea subsequently returned a blood alcohol reading of .112.

The court was told that Dunlea had no prior offending of this sort on her traffic history.

Dunlea’s husband asked for, and was granted, permission to make a submission on behalf of his wife, whom he said was on medication.

Mr Dunlea said his wife currently managed a local retail outlet and she was unaware of the requirements of a person supervising a learner driver in relation to blood alcohol content.

Acting Magistrate Mary Buchanan fined Dunlea $400 and disqualified her from driving for four months.