NAMED, SHAMED: 12 drink and drug drivers in Gympie court
From P-platers drink driving on the beach to meth-heads getting behind the wheel, here are 12 drink and drug drivers who faced Gympie Magistrates Court last week:
Gympie
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TWELVE men and women faced Gympie Magistrates Court last week after they made the decision to get behind the wheel with alcohol or drugs in their system.
From alcohol readings nearly four times the legal limit to P-platers driving drunk on the beach, these locals have been found guilty of drink or drug driving this week.
Rachel Frances Hill
Rachel Frances Hill, 32, had her licence suspended when she was caught driving while almost four times the limit - 0.189 - along Exhibition Road on November 25.
Gympie Magistrates Court heard this week Hill was then caught driving the very next day.
Police prosecutor Melissa Campbell said police attended an address at 3:30pm on November 26, to find the vehicle in question parked in the driveway.
"They spoke to the defendant [who] stated her licence had been suspended from the previous incident and she was just driving her vehicle from Johns Street to collect her daughter from school," Sergeant Campbell said.
Hill said she had made some "really bad decisions".
"I shouldn't have done it," she said.
Hill was fined $1200 for the two offences.
Her licence was disqualified for six months for the drink driving offence and two years for driving while suspended.
Convictions were not recorded.
Stephen John Lawrence Lynam
Forty-three-year-old Stephen John Lawrence Lynam was stopped at 1am and drug tested by police at Victory Heights on October 15.
The electrician's drug test came back positive for methamphetamine and police later found a clip seal bag containing 0.46 grams of the drug in Lynam's car.
He was fined $400 for the two charges and no convictions were recorded.
Curtis James McMahon
On October 23 at 2:30pm, police stopped a Hyundai and drug tested 23-year-old Curtis James McMahon.
The test found cannabis in his saliva, which McMahon said he had smoked the night before.
"With a couple of mates after work and it's come up in my system on my way into town to do some shopping," McMahon told the court.
He was fined $150 and disqualified from driving for one month.
No conviction was recorded.
Cody Wade Wark
Twenty-two-year-old Cody Wade Wark was driving his car on Maroochydore Road at Maroochydore when police stopped him and drug tested him at 3:45pm on August 5, the court heard.
The drug test showed up positive for the two drugs of methamphetamine and cannabis.
Wark, who represented himself in court, said he was unemployed and has been homeless for most of his life.
He was fined $200 and his licence was disqualified for three months.
No conviction was recorded.
Jessica Ivyanne Rossi
Driving a car on Power Street in Gympie on October 25, 36-year-old Jessica Ivyanne Rossi was stopped by police who then breath tested her.
Rossi's test came back with a reading of 0.054, Gympie Magistrates Court heard.
Rossi, who represented herself in court, said she had driven from Stewart Terrace to Power Street and did not have enough fuel to get home at the time.
"I drove and parked around the corner because I had a fight with my daughter that night and I was supposed to be working in Gympie the next day," she said.
"The police found me around the corner because I didn't want to drive home because I knew I had a drink.
"I didn't want to stay at my daughter's house because I felt unsafe because her boyfriend punched me in the head."
Rossi was fined $150 and her licence was disqualified for one month.
A conviction was recorded.
Kirstie Jenean Morris
Forty-year-old Kirstie Jenean Morris was caught driving at Rainbow Beach on the night of November 18, with an illegal blood alcohol content of 0.059 per cent.
Morris told the Gympie court this week she was self-employed and also worked in a cafe.
"[I have] two teenage children," she said.
Morris was fined $150 and no conviction was recorded.
Her licence was disqualified for one month.
Lachlan Joshua Carr
After a day at Teewah Beach with his mates, Lachlan Joshua Carr decided to move his vehicle back to the campsite before high tide and was stopped by police on the way.
The 19-year-old said he moved his car about 50m on November 20 at 4:30pm when police asked him to complete a breath test.
Carr, a P-plater, blew a reading of 0.098, the Gympie court heard.
Solicitor Tannock said the biggest issue regarding licence disqualification for Carr would be his employment, as he was an apprentice refrigeration and air-conditioning mechanic.
"He's about to finish his first year," Mr Tannock said.
"The company he works for is based in Eagle Farm in Brisbane so there is nobody here who can take him to work," he said.
Magistrate Chris Callaghan said it did not matter how far he was driving as police could charge people for just sitting in the driver's seat while intoxicated.
Mr Callaghan reduced the fine to $250 and disqualified Carr's licence for three months.
No conviction was recorded.
Alexzander Michael Knowles
At a schoolies event at Rainbow Beach on November 24, police were supervising festivities when they noticed a vehicle trying to leave the beach at about 10.50pm, Gympie Magistrates Court heard this week.
They told the driver, Alexzander Michael Knowles, an apprentice baker, to get out of the vehicle.
"I (had been) sitting on the back of my tailgate and a group of teenagers came up to me and they asked can you give us a hand, our car is bogged," Knowles told the court.
"So I sat there for about 10 minutes and contemplated helping and I decided to help them, so I went over and hooked the strap up and police came over."
Police breath tested the 18-year-old P-plater and he blew 0.06.
Knowles was fined $150 and his licence was disqualified for one month.
No conviction was recorded.
Raymond Steven Summers
P-PLATER Raymond Steven Summers, 23, drove on Cootharaba Rd in Gympie on October 27 with methamphetamine in his system.
Police stopped the Holden he was driving at 11:30am and drug tested Summers.
Police prosecutor Melissa Campbell said after conversations with Summers, police suspected there to be drugs in the vehicle.
"[Police] have located a used glass pipe, the defendant stated he recently used it to smoke methamphetamine," Sergeant Campbell said.
Summers said he was unemployed and on government benefits.
He was fined $250 and his licence was disqualified for 3 months.
The glass pipe was forfeited.
Luke Wayne Hunter
Before blowing nearly four times the legal limit, Luke Wayne Hunter, a disqualified learner driver was seen by police performing multiple burnouts in the Gympie CBD and blocking other vehicles on the road.
Police prosecutor Melissa Campbell said police were performing patrols at 7:30pm on July 3, in the Gympie CBD when their attention was drawn to a Ford station wagon creating a large cloud of smoke.
"The vehicle turned left into a one-way section of Mary Street before reversing out, performing a U-turn to stop, facing away from police on the incorrect side of Monkland Street," Sergeant Campbell said.
"The defendant was then accelerating and spinning wheels, as the vehicle's tires were spinning the vehicle drifted on to the incorrect side of the road."
Sergeant Campbell said Hunter then performed a second burnout directly in front of police.
"Police approached the vehicle, the defendant stated … his car must be broken as it just kept spinning the tyres," she said.
"A learners permit had been disqualified in 2019, and no other licence had been issued since."
Hunter was submitted for a roadside breath test that showed a reading of 0.192.
Magistrate Callaghan said Hunter's actions caused a lot of concern for other drivers and were "in any language, dangerous".
"Also [made dangerous] by the fact that you were adversely affected by liquor at the time, your reading is high and you're doing burnouts," Mr Callaghan said.
Hunter's licence was disqualified for nine months and he was fined a total of $1500.
Convictions were recorded.
Gary Allen Shipp
The 58-year-old Gympie region landscaper pleaded guilty to four charges after police busted him drink driving and on the wrong side of the road on the Southside.
Police prosecutor Melissa Campbell said police were stationed at a Southside intersection at 3.20pm on July 8, and saw a ute travelling on the wrong side of the road.
"[Police] intercepted the vehicle and spoke to the defendant who submitted to a roadside breath test," Sergeant Campbell said.
The court heard Shipp made the decision to drive after a day of drinking at a friend's house and at the pub, blowing over the limit on the test.
Months later, on November 13, police saw a plastic bag on the seat of Shipp's car.
"Police retrieved the plastic bag, located 6.6 grams of cannabis, a plastic water pipe with a cone piece and a pair of silver scissors."
Sgt Campbell said in relation to the failure to appear charge, Shipp attended his court date on November 5, but "got sick of waiting" and left prior to his matter being heard.
Solicitor Nightingale said Shipp had two children but was currently homeless and living out of his car.
"In relation to the failure to appear, he says that he came to court and that he became extremely anxious and as a result, left because he just couldn't cope with waiting," she said.
Shipp was convicted and fined a total of $800 for all offences and was disqualified from driving for one month.
Convictions were recorded.
Zeph Reidy Kelly
A 39-year-old arborist took his son's car for a 'test drive' while drunk and disqualified, crashing it into a street pole in Glastonbury and blowing nearly four times the legal limit.
On August 24, this year, Kelly was 'spinning' the wheels of his son's Holden Sedan on a driveway before making his way onto the road.
Police prosecutor Melissa Campbell said police attended the crash scene at 7:50pm where Kelly had hit a street sign at the intersection of Glastonbury Road.
"Police observed two males next to the vehicle, both displaying intoxication, one of the males being the defendant who admitted to being the driver," Sergeant Campbell said.
"Checks revealed his licence had been disqualified on the 29th of April 2019 for a period of two years."
Sgt Campbell said Kelly completed a roadside breath test and blew a reading of 0.198.
Mr Anderson said the father had been "test driving" the car when he crashed, but later withdrew the statement when Magistrate Callaghan said "that's rubbish".
"You don't get drunk and then go and test a vehicle to see if it's working, that's just rubbish," Mr Callaghan said.
Mr Anderson said Kelly had been 'doing a skid' and 'spinning' the wheels in the driveway.
Mr Callaghan said Kelly had a "long history" of driving while disqualified and was a "danger to the public".
"I don't understand why I make these orders and people just disobey them," he said.
Kelly was fined $1200 for driving under the influence and sentenced to six months jail, suspended for three years, for driving while disqualified.
He will not be able to obtain a licence for 40 months, cumulative to his previous disqualifications.
Convictions were recorded.
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