Luke Thomas Richard Hagart-Ryalls: 22yo Ipswich driver reoffends within 24 hours

An Ipswich magistrate has given a 22-year-old a stern talking-to after he was caught drug driving and then dangerously driving less than 24 hours later.

A young man has faced sentence and been reprimanded by a magistrate after he committed three driving offences in less than 24 hours during a year of record Queensland road fatalities.

Luke Thomas Richard Hagart-Ryalls, 22, appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court on June 28 on three driving offences; driving while a relevant drug is present in blood or saliva, driving dangerously and driving without a driver’s licence.

The court heard he pleaded guilty to all three charges on May 11 this year.

It is understood the charges related to two incidents which occurred over a two-day period and saw Hagart-Ryalls “picked up” by police for drug driving. He was given a 24-hour driving suspension.

About 11am the next day, the young man was back behind the wheel when he saw police and made the “deliberate decision” to drive through a red light in an attempt to not be seen by them.

Prosecutor Sergeant Nick Turnbull said the young man’s age and pleas of guilty should be taken into account in sentencing, as well as his need for rehabilitation and his substance use.

The court heard the young man is single and unemployed, but has worked on and off as a labourer.

Defence solicitor Rod Mugford said his client suffered a drug abuse problem and was homeless at the time of offending. He now resides with his grandmother and is making a “real effort” to stay off the drugs.

“He admits he made some silly mistakes and his conduct was not acceptable,” Mr Mugford said.

Magistrate David Shepherd gave Hagart-Ryalls a stern talking-to before handing down his sentence, telling him that what he did was not “a youthful frolic”.

“It’s a deliberate decision to drive in a manner, through a red light, and continue speeding in circumstances where he knew what the dangers were simply because he was trying to protect his licence,” Mr Shepherd said.

“Over 140 people have died on the roads so far this year alone. We’re well and truly on track to exceed our previous record.”

He said Hagart-Ryalls’ youth and drug issues would not provide any comfort to his family, or others’ families, if he were to die or someone else were to die as a result of “this sort” of behaviour.

Mr Shepherd took into account the young man’s pleas of guilty, his circumstances, and the seriousness of his offending when deciding an appropriate penalty.

Hagart-Ryalls was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for dangerously operating a vehicle, which was wholly suspended for a period of 18 months. For the other two charges, he was released on 18 months’ probation. Convictions were recorded.

He was also disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence for six months, two years, and one month for the three offences.