Six offenders in court for drink and drug driving

From crashing a vehicle twice in one night to drunken hooning, Gympie traffic court deals out justice to drivers doing the wrong thing.

Tens of people were listed to attend Gympie traffic court on Thursday February 3, of those six were sentenced for drink or drug driving.

Drink and drug driving remain leading causes of car accidents and deaths on Australian roads, and with more than 200 fatalities across Queensland in 2021, bringing attention to the issue is an obligation and a necessity.

Here are the offenders that were sentenced in the Gympie Magistrate Court on February 3:

Concreter caught drunk hooning

Drunk hoon, Donald Hamilton, was busted for doing burnouts outside of his ex-girlfriend's house after buying a bottle of Jack Daniels.

He pleaded guilty to seven offences: wilful driving in a way that caused unnecessary smoke and noise, obstruction of police, driving without a license repeatedly, failing to provide breath for test, failing to provide saliva for test, public nuisance, and contravening a police direction.

He was fined $2000 and had his license disqualified for seven months.

Read more here.

Drug driver says illegal use started ‘as a hobby’

46-year old Cedar Creek man, Brett Binkins, told Magistrate Chris Callaghan he took up meth as a hobby when receiving his sentencing for drug driving in the courtroom.

He pleaded guilty to one count of driving with the drug in his saliva and one count of possession of a utensil used for dangerous drugs.

Binkins was fined $300 and disqualified from driving for a month.

Read more here.

Drunken hit and run: Mechanic in two crashes sentenced 

Gympie Mechanic, Clinton Neal, crashed his car twice in one night and claimed to be so drunk he couldn’t recall what happened.

He pleaded guilty to one count of driving a vehicle with a car involved in a crash and failing to stop and one count of drink driving.

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

‘Victim of the plague’: Dad’s plea as P-plater caught meth driving

A young teen was convicted for drug driving after being pulled over with meth present in her saliva.

Courtney McEwan, 18, was warned by Mr Callaghan if she continued with her behaviour, she’d end up appearing through videolink from jail.

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

Man who took two meth tablets sentenced

Michael Smith, 66, drove with drugs present in his saliva while driving along the Wide Bay Hwy.

He told the magistrate he had slipped two meth tablets and admitted it was a stupid thing to do.

He was fined $150 and disqualified from driving for a month with no conviction recorded.

Benjamin Iddles was at the pub with some mates and thought he was okay to drive home.

He told Mr Callaghan he had been drinking water toward the end and had waited several hours but was still over the limit when caught driving home.

He pleaded guilty to drink driving and was fined $250 and no conviction was recorded.