FULL LIST: The Gympie region’s worst drink driving suburbs revealed

New police data has revealed where the most drink drivers are being pulled over in the Gympie region. See the full suburb breakdown and list of recent offenders here:

Fewer people are drink driving in the Gympie region, according to new police data.

Between January 1 and May 31 in 2021, 199 people were caught driving over the legal limit; but in 2022, only 150 drivers have been caught.

In 2021, the Wide Bay Burnett had the highest number of road deaths in the state, accounting for more than 10 per cent of the Queensland total.

Queensland Police Minister Mark Ryan said there was no excuse for someone to get behind the wheel when they were under the influence.

“Drink driving is not only against the law, it is irresponsible and a danger to the driver and to others,” he said.

“The potential for death or damage to person and property should be obvious to every sensible, thinking person.

“If you are drinking, the message is simple: don’t drive. Get a taxi or an Uber or appoint a designated driver who is not drinking.”

District breakdown

Police data tracking those charged with traffic and related offences, which include drink driving, have revealed - perhaps unsurprisingly - the Gympie CBD and its surrounding suburbs recorded the highest number of offences in the last 12 months.

The Gympie CBD recorded 179 offences, while East Deep Creek recorded 30, the Southside r28 and Monkland 27.

The Cooloola Coast recorded the second highest number of traffic and related offences, with Rainbow Beach recording the vast majority with 28 offences in the last 12 months. Tin Can Bay recorded 14, and Cooloola Cove recorded 4.

Here’s a list of drivers recently convicted of drink or drug driving on local roads:

Drug drivers

Courtney Shae McEwan

P-plater Courtney Shae McEwan was described as a “victim of the (ice) plague” by her father. He begged a magistrate for his daughter to be released when she faced the court via video link from custody.

McEwan, 18, pleaded guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court to a lone charge of driving with meth in her saliva on February 3, 2022.

The court heard McEwan was pulled over for an RBT on December 20, 2021, when she tested positive to having the addictive drug in her system.

She was fined $150 and disqualified from driving for three months.

Sarah Diana Jane Child

Sarah Diana Jane Child was found with traces of drugs in her system after she was pulled over on Wickham St, Gympie, on September 20, 2021.

She was on a suspended licence at the time.

Child was fined $450 and disqualified from driving for a further month.

Christian Albert Dibbets

Christian Albert Dibbets was placed on six months probation after returning a positive drug result after being stopped by Gympie police at 2.37pm on November 2, 2021.

The court heard he had four previous offences of a similar nature. Dibbets was disqualified from driving for nine months.

Drink drivers

Michael Tristan Watts

Gympie landscaping business owner Michael Tristan Watts, 42, was jailed after he was caught driving twice the limit and without a licence on February 11, 2022.

He pleaded guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court to driving under the influence and driving disqualified on April 21, 2022.

The court heard Watts was stopped by police on the Capricorn Hwy at Emerald, where he was found without a licence and blew 0.103, almost three times the limit.

Defence lawyer Lisa Taylor told the court her client was in Emerald for work, but was left stranded after his driver left to deal with family matters.

Watts knew he was not able to drive, but for the sake of his business, got behind the wheel anyway to get back to Gympie.

He was sentenced to five months behind bars, and disqualified from driving for a further three and a half years.

Jessica Claire Owen

Southside woman Jessica Claire Owen was caught drink driving after police found her car parked in the middle of Groundwater Rd at Southside.

She pleaded guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court to one charge of drink driving from November 22, 2021.

The court heard Owen’s car was seen parked in the middle of Groundwater Rd, Southside on November 22, and several cars were forced to swerve on to the opposite side of the road to avoid her.

When police arrived, she told them she had stopped in the middle of the road to eat some food.

She was breath tested at the scene and blew 0.072.

She was fined $200 and disqualified from driving for two months.

Tom Flaskett

Carpenter Tom Flaskett, 18, was caught driving drunk at Teewah Beach after police saw him “fishtailing” along the beach and near camping grounds late on November 18, 2021.

Gympie Magistrates Court heard Flaskett was pulled over and blew 0.108, more than twice the legal limit.

Flaskett was a P-plater at the time.

The owner of the ute was in the passenger seat and two friends were in the back seat.

He was disqualified from driving for 10 months and fined $1000.

Convictions not recorded

Terrence Michael Dwyer

Pomona man Terrence Michael Dwyer, 64, was caught drink-driving and in possession of drugs when he was pulled over for speeding on the Bruce Hwy at Federal on November 27, 2021.

Gympie Magistrates Court heard Dwyer had 13 grams of marijuana in his pocket when stopped.

He was breath-tested at the scene and blew 0.81.

Dwyer was placed on a $150 good behaviour bond by Magistrate Chris Callaghan, and his licence was disqualified for two months.

Clinton Wade Neal

Gympie mechanic Clinton Wade Neal reversed into one car while driving drunk, only to injure himself in another crash later that night.

Neal pleaded guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court to driving a vehicle that’s been involved in a crash, failing to stop and drink driving.

The court heard Neal had reversed into a car while leaving a Gympie pub on November 25, 2021, but failed to ever contact the owner.

Then, 40 minutes later, he drove his car off the road at The Palms and was pinned under his vehicle.

He was taken to hospital, and blew 0.180 – almost four times the legal limit.

He was fined $1000 and disqualified from driving for nine months.

Lee John Burke

Boonara man Lee John Burke claimed he had “one beer” with lunch when he was caught drink driving.

Burke, 32, was pulled over on the Burnett Hwy at Goomeri on December 13, 2021, where he blew 0.59.

He was on a learner licence at the time.

He was fined $150 and had his licence disqualified for three months.