Gympie man has no memory of rolling his car while drink driving

A Gympie court was told the man had no memory of rolling his car after a drinking session with his boss

Jeremy Frank Douglas Kelk was more than three times the legal limit when he crashed his car following an afternoon drinking session with his boss.

A Gympie man has lost his licence for seven months after writing his car off following a drinking session with his boss.

Jeremy Frank Douglas Kelk, 33, was driving his Mitsubishi Pajero on Alenola Street about 8pm on March 18, when he lost control and rolled it on to its roof.

Kelk’s lawyer said the incident was out of character for the 33-year-old who worked with Hampton Home Builders, noting “there is nothing of a like nature in his history”.

The court heard Kelk had been under considerable stress at the time, working extra hours and dealing with his partner being stuck in Sydney due to COVID lockdowns, where she was caring for her terminally ill father.

He had gone to the office to sign off paperwork for a house and his boss had offered him some scotch, the court heard.

Kelk Pleaded guilty to a drink driving charge in Gympie Magistrates Court.

The 33-year-old had also drunk several bourbons beforehand and returned a blood alcohol reading of .173 after the crash, more than three times the legal limit.

The court heard he had no recollection of the crash.

Magistrate Kurt Fowler accepted Kelk’s guilty plea to drink driving, but noted he also had a high speed offence on his record.

Mr Fowler fined the 33-year-old $1000 and disqualified him from driving for seven months.

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