Drink or drug-drivers sentences at Mackay and Sarina Magistrates Court
Here is a round up of drink or drug-drivers who had their cases finalised in Mackay and Sarina Magistrates Court.
Police & Courts
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Drink-drivers
‘Quite a big night out’
A Sarina man who had never held a licence was caught drink-driving while ferrying his family members home after “quite a big night out”.
Prosecutor Robert Beamish said police stopped Franklyn Thomas Joey Kudub for a random breath test during patrols along Broad St in Sarina on September 30.
The Sarina Magistrates Court on Monday heard officers detained Kudub, after which he returned a 0.098 blood alcohol concentration.
Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan told the 23-year-old casual maintenance worker he “clearly doesn’t know how to drive” and advised he “brush up” on the law.
Kudub was earlier sentenced in November 2020 for driving more than 20km/hr over the speed limit, also while unlicensed.
Pleading guilty to driving over the general alcohol limit but not over the middle alcohol limit, and driving without a licence, Kudub was fined $1000 and disqualified for four months.
Convictions were recorded.
Disqualified driver caught more than three times the limit
An off duty police officer noticed a car travelling down the wrong side of a median strip on Barnes Creek Rd in Mackay about 4.20am on January 9.
Mackay Magistrates Court heard the officer saw the car crash into a roadside barrier before the driver, 27-year-old Conor James Casey, managed to steer the damaged vehicle onto the right side of the road.
Police later found the vehicle travelling 40km/h on the Bruce Highway and stopped the North Mackay man at a service station.
Police prosecutor Sheena Gravino said Casey had been driving disqualified and recorded a blood alcohol concentrate of 0.162.
Casey pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified, drink-driving and driving an unsafe motor vehicle.
He was fined $2000 and disqualified from driving for two and a half years.
A conviction was recorded.
Putting innocent lives at risk
A diesel fitter was slammed for putting innocent lives as risk when he drove while more than three times the legal alcohol limit.
Mackay Magistrates Court heard Luke Matthew Lawrence Perry “had a couple of beers in the afternoon” when he was stopped about 11pm on October 17.
Police spotted his car travelling on Wellington St before turning onto Shakespeare St and checks revealed the vehicle was unregistered.
The North Mackay 41 year old returned a positive roadside breath test and was later revealed to have a 0.165 per cent blood alcohol reading.
Perry pleaded guilty to high-range drink-driving, and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle.
He told police he had not received a renewal notice in the mail.
Magistrate Damien Dwyer said Perry had an excellent traffic history but had “put innocent lives at risk” through his decision to drive.
He was fined $1500 and disqualified for nine months.
Convictions were not recorded.
High-range drink-driver caught popping to the shops
A woman with an excellent traffic history was caught driving while more than three times the legal alcohol limit on a trip to the supermarket.
Belinda K McMahon was stopped on Eimeo Rd, Rural View about 5.22pm, October 23 as Northern Beaches police were performing roadside breath tests.
The 44 year old returned a positive roadside reading and later returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.166 per cent.
Mackay Magistrates Court heard she had drank a couple of glasses of wine that afternoon and had a “silly thought (she would) just pop to the shops”.
She was remorseful and contrite for her actions which occurred following a “very difficult” past 24 months.
The offending was described as an anomaly and the court heard she planned to relocate to Western Australia.
McMahon pleaded guilty to high-range drink-driving.
Magistrate Damien Dwyer said she was “putting innocent lives at risk” by driving at such a high reading.
She was fined $1050 and disqualified for nine months. A conviction was not recorded.
No licence for two months
A Slade Point man has lost his licence for two months after he was caught low range drink-driving.
Police stopped a vehicle on Eaglemount Rd at Beaconsfield about 5pm on October 23 for a random breath test.
Mackay Magistrates Court heard Peter Ross Ryan, 63, had drank about five mid-strength beers that day.
He returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.071 per cent.
Ryan pleaded guilty to low range drink-driving. He was fined $400 and a conviction was not recorded.
Drink-driving puts new job ‘up in the air’
Pamela-Lee Culey, of Grasstree Beach, was depending on renewing her driver’s licence for a new job before drink-driving placed that at risk.
She faced Sarina Magistrates Court on Monday after police pulled her over along Sarina Beach Rd on October 6.
“She was not aware her licence had expired by one day,” prosecutor Robert Beamish said.
“During general conversation (with police), they could smell liquor on her breath.”
He said Culey refused a breath test despite being given “several opportunities” and stated, “Just book me at 1.5, I’ve had three beers, I’m not blowing”.
Culey was arrested and taken to the watch-house where she returned a 0.108 BAC.
Duty lawyer Kenneth Seaniger said the 34-year-old former fencing contractor’s new job at Hay Point was now “somewhat up in the air”.
Ms Hartigan said she considered Culey’s previous convictions for drink-driving and failing to provide a specimen, as well as her ultimately submitting to police.
Pleading guilty to driving over the middle alcohol limit, driving without a licence, and failing to provide a specimen for a roadside test, Culey was fined $1100 and disqualified for three months.
Convictions were recorded.
Drug-drivers
Drug-driving to work
An Andergrove 21-year-old man escaped a conviction after he was found drug-driving along the Bruce Highway on his way to work.
Prosecutor Robert Beamish said police were conducting roadside testing at Sarina on the morning of September 15 when Jack Breen was pulled over.
Sarina Magistrates Court on Monday heard the HiLux driver tested positive for marijuana.
Ms Hartigan said he she took into account Breen’s guilty plea and “very good” traffic history, fining him $300 and disqualifying his licence for the mandatory minimum of one month.
“If you’re caught (driving) by police in the next one month, it’s a mandatory minimum period of disqualification for two years so don’t risk it,” she told him.
A conviction was not recorded
P-plater tests positive
A Sarina teenager will have to wait longer to graduate to her open licence after being found drug-driving in Sarina.
Mr Beamish told Sarina Magistrates Court on Monday police intercepted Paige Madison Walker along Brandon St at 11.15am on August 10 for a licence check and random breath test.
“(Walker) returned a negative result for a breath test and then provided a specimen of saliva for a roadside drug test which returned a positive indication for (marijuana),” he said.
Ms Hartigan said she had to disqualify the 18 year old for the mandatory minimum of three months as she was a P-plater.
Pleading guilty to drug-driving, Walker was also fined $300 and convictions were recorded.
P-plater busted drug-driving
A Moranbah panel beater was spotted travelling along the Peak Downs Highway at Nebo when police pulled him over for a random drug test.
Mackay Magistrates court heard Jye Maher was on his P-plates when he tested positive for MDMA at 11.20am on October 3.
Maher, 18, pleaded guilty to drug-driving. He was fined $500 and disqualified from driving for five months. No conviction was recorded.
Havaianas to the bench
A former Western Australian sported a mullet and black Havaianas thongs in Sarina Magistrates Court on Monday to plead guilty to drug-driving.
Mr Beamish said Cameron Mcaleese was driving a Holden ute along the Bruce Highway on September 11 when police pulled him over for a random roadside test.
The Sarina Beach man, 28, tested positive for methylamphetamines.
Ms Hartigan said she had to take into account his previous drug-driving offence in Western Australia, as well as his early guilty plea.
She fined Mcaleese $500, disqualified his licence for two months and recorded a conviction.
Marijuana spells end to cleaning gig
Olivia Gwen Wells-Dean said she had to quit her cleaning job after being caught drug-driving in Sarina.
Sarina Magistrates Court on Monday heard the 19-year-old probationary-licence holder was pulled over on the Bruce Highway for a roadside breath test on September 15.
Mr Beamish said Wells-Dean’s saliva tested positive for marijuana.
Wells-Dean said she was newly unemployed as she needed her licence to drive to various cleaning jobs, and was living with her mum in Rockhampton.
“I don’t want to go on Centrelink (benefits),” she told Ms Hartigan.
Pleading guilty to drug-driving, Wells-Dean was disqualified from driving for three months.
“I’ll take into account you’re not working, you’re fined $300,” Ms Hartigan said.
“To reflect your young age and really your lack of traffic or criminal history, I won’t record a conviction against you.”
‘I own this town’: Man assaults thoughtful waitress
A drunk 50-year-old man turned his rage at a kind hospitality worker who tried to help him at an Airlie Beach bar.
Baby, woman taken to hospital after Bruce Hwy crash
A baby and a woman in her 20s have been taken to hospital after a two-vehicle crash that closed one lane of the Bruce Highway at Mackay.