Tanielle Ann Thompson-Geiger: Toowoomba woman sentenced on charge of drug driving

An administration worker who tested positive for meth in a roadside drug test has fronted court on a charge of drug driving, explaining to the magistrate she did not “knowingly” consume the substance.

A woman who pleaded guilty in court to driving with methylamphetamine in her system has told a magistrate she did not “knowingly” consume the drugs in question.

Tanielle Ann Thompson-Geiger, 46, appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court on Monday June 6 on one count of driving a car while a relevant drug was present in her saliva.

The court heard the incident occurred on the Warrego Hwy at Marburg on April 18 this year.

On this day, prosecutor Jonathon Waddington said, the Ipswich highway patrol intercepted a Jeep and identified Thompson-Geiger as the driver.

The Darling Heights woman submitted to a roadside drug test, which returned a positive result, and was transported to Lowood Station for further analysis.

“She makes admissions to recent drug use,” Mr Waddington said.

An analysis of a specimen of her saliva was completed and indicated the presence of methylamphetamine, the court heard.

Thompson-Geiger, who represented herself on Monday, denied ever admitting to using drugs. Rather, she said she told police there were drugs present in her home.

“There was no admissions made,” she said.

“There was admissions that there was drugs present in the home ...”

Mr Waddington said he “won’t take issue” with her claim that she did not knowingly consume the methylamphetamine.

Thompson-Geiger told the court she worked in administration for a demolition and construction company, performing site inspections and occupational health and safety tasks, and had volunteered for the past six years with an organisation that supports the friends and family of people who are addicted to drugs.

“I would not have knowingly consumed (the methylamphetamine) and I repeatedly stated to the officer that I hadn’t used or taken drugs, repeatedly,” she said.

Magistrate David Shepherd said he had taken into account Thompson-Geiger’s plea of guilty and the circumstances of her offending, including her “undisputed” claim the offence was not the result of “direct consumption” of drugs.

“You don’t have a history of drug use, you don’t have a history of driving with any alcohol or drugs in your system,” he told Thompson-Geiger.

“There is one, back in 1996, at 0.08.”

Thompson-Geiger was fined $200 and disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence for one month.

No conviction was recorded.