Claudia Susanne Hess pleads guilty at Gympie, Qld court to drink driving

A night watching the New Year’s Eve fireworks was costly for a pensioner after police had to use their sirens to stop her when she swerved onto the wrong side of the road and then tried to drive away from a roadside breath test.

Claudia Susanne Hess, 68, was pulled over by police in the early hours of January 1, 2024 after being seen by officers and the public swerving her silver Toyota RAV4 across the centre line and on to the wrong side of Exhibition Rd at the Southside. Hess pleaded guilty to driving under the influence, and failing to give a test specimen on request.

A retired pensioner has been barred from driving for the rest of year after being caught by police crossing the centre line while drink-driving with her dog on her lap.

Claudia Susanne Hess, 68, was pulled over by police in the early hours of January 1, 2024 after being seen by officers and the public swerving her silver Toyota RAV4 across the centre line and on to the wrong side of Exhibition Rd at the Southside.

Police prosecutor Mel Campbell told Gympie Magistrates Court Hess continued driving for about 400-500m after police turned on their lights before finally pulling onto the shoulder of Ramsey Rd.

The Southside resident initially refused to undertake a police breath test saying she had lung cancer, the court heard.

She told officers she swerved onto the wrong side of the road when her dog had jumped on her lap.

Sgt Campbell said in the middle of the police intercept, Hess took the handbrake off and started to drive away before stopping again.

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Claudia Susanne Hess, 68, was pulled over by police in the early hours of January 1, 2024 after being seen by officers and the public swerving her silver Toyota RAV4 across the centre line and on to the wrong side of Exhibition Rd at the Southside. Hess pleaded guilty to driving under the influence, and failing to give a test specimen on request.

Officer were finally forced to take the keys from Hess’s 4WD.

The court heard Hess was acting “belligerent and forgetful”.

Police were finally able to obtain a roadside breath test, which returned an estimated reading of .169, the court heard.

Hess then refused to exit the RAV4 at the request of police, and repeatedly asked to be told what her reading was.

Officers were finally able to transport Hess to hospital for further testing, but when a nurse approached for a blood test she told the woman to “f--k off”.

The 68-year-old’s defence lawyer told the court Hess suffered from a number of “significant health issues” including anxiety, and was being tested for bowel cancer.

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A nurse at Gympie Hospital who tried to obtain a blood sample from Hess for testing was told to “f--k off’, the court was told.

She was remorseful for her behaviour, he said, and the incident was not part of an “ongoing pattern of behaviour” as her history in the past 20 years included only one similar entry, back in 2006.

Hess pleaded guilty to driving under the influence, and failing to provide a specimen of breath or blood for analysis at request of police.

Magistrate Bevan Hughes told Hess she may have had a lot on her mind at the time, but it did not excuse her putting the lives of herself, other drivers, and even her dog at risk.

Failing to provide officers with a specimen for testing “just makes things worse”.

Hess was fined $816, and disqualified for driving from eight months.