Steven Troy Hansen sentenced for Gladstone driving offences

This Central Queensland driver busted in the early hours of the morning was an easy catch for police in more ways than one.

Steven Troy Hansen, 42, faced Gladstone Magistrates Court for charges including drug driving. Generic image.

Gladstone driver Steven Troy Hansen was an easy catch for police in more ways than one.

It was 4.30am when they saw him driving with different number plates on the front and back of a “borrowed” car.

Police followed Hansen and saw him driving slowly, swerving, and using the indicator incorrectly.

They intercepted him on Walsh Street for a breath test and vehicle registration check.

Officers noticed he was twitchy, and his hands were shaking, but the telltale bit of evidence was an injection point in his arm that was oozing blood.

A check of police records showed Hansen was driving while court disqualified.

He told police he knew he shouldn’t be driving but he didn’t want to stay with his friends, so he borrowed a car to drive home to Calliope.

While searching the vehicle, police found a syringe containing clear liquid.

Gladstone Courthouse.

Hansen told police he had injected meth earlier that day and he used medicinal cannabis for back pain.

The 42-year-old accepted that version of events in Gladstone Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to charges including drug driving and disqualified driving stemming from the December 20 intercept.

The court heard Hansen had a seven-page traffic history which included previous drug driving offending.

It was told his criminal record included “a lot” of drug offences.

Solicitor Rio Ramos said Hansen had lived in Gladstone all of his life and confirmed he was prescribed medicinal cannabis.

“He made full admissions to police (about the offending),” Ms Ramos said.

Magistrate Mary Buchanan sentenced Hansen to three months’ jail, suspended for an operational period of two years.

She also disqualified him from driving for three years.

Traffic convictions were recorded.