Eathan Thomas Weekes pleaded guilty to 23 offences including dangerous driving

A drug-addled driver has been told the community needed protection from him as details of his dangerous driving ‘rampage’ were laid bare.

Eathan Thomas Weekes, 27, pleaded guilty to 23 offences committed between October 2022 and May 2024 including dangerous driving while adversely affected, evading police and possessing dangerous drugs.

A methed up motorist who went on a dangerous driving “rampage” that included side swiping a police car and travelling at high speeds through red lights and on the wrong side of the road, was told the community “needs protection from you”.

Eathan Thomas Weekes pleaded guilty to 23 offences committed between October 2022 and May 2024 including dangerous driving while adversely affected, evading police and possessing dangerous drugs.

“It seems to me that you were on a bit of a rampage during this period in your life,” Acting Magistrate Nigel Rees told Weekes, who had been aged 25-27 during the crime spree.

Mackay Magistrates Court heard the former Pioneer State High School student had been travelling on Malcomson St at Mount Pleasant, not wearing a seatbelt when police spotted him about 12.45pm on December 1, 2023.

The area was heavily congested with other vehicles and pedestrians when Weekes took off, sideswiping the police car before mounting the central island and entering the oncoming traffic lane.

“You’ve then driven approximately 200m towards oncoming and entering traffic at the intersection from the red light, whilst on the incorrect side of the road,” Mr Rees said.

“On its own, this is particularly serious offence.”

Mr Rees said it was made more serious because Weekes had been on bail at the time.

“You drove accordingly to evade police,” he said.

Defence barrister Scott McLennan said it was not a “deliberate side swiping” - the police car had pulled up close to Weekes’s vehicle and he had “turned sharply”.

The court heard on another occasion of dangerous driving in December 2022 he had been behind the wheel of a Holden Commodore travelling south on the Bruce Highway at “high speeds” and went through a red light at the Sams Rd intersection.

He then lost control of the car, veering onto the right side of the road, crashing through a traffic light and down a steep, five-metre embankment into mangroves.

An off-duty police officer watched this happen. Weekes then moved items around the car and fled the scene.

He was caught and a specimen of blood was sent for analysis.

Eathan Thomas Weekes pleaded guilty to 23 offences committed between October 2022 and May 2024 including dangerous driving while adversely affected, evading police and possessing dangerous drugs.

“The forensic physician said the methylamphetamine was very high and above the average level reported in cases of metal toxicity,” Mr Rees said.

The court heard he was also found possessing quantities of methylamphetamines and steroids.

On another occasion Weekes had been driving a Nissan Navara police were trying to intercept - as a result Weekes evaded police by driving onto the wrong side of the road at speed.

“Police actually had to cease the chase and you were reported,” Mr Rees said.

The court heard there was a final dangerous driving on May 20, 2024 when police intercepted Weekes who, as officers were performing checks and were “halfway inside or out of the vehicle”, put it in first gear and tried to drive off.

He was ultimately removed from the car and found possessing 1.5g of a substance “strongly resembling heroin”.

Mr Rees said these were not early pleas as Weekes had initially pleaded not guilty, but accepted they were timely pleas.

“It is evident from your criminal history and also your behaviour over this period that you have an issue with drugs young man,” Mr Rees said.

“Unless you address that issue you are going to end up back where you are.

“All three of the dangerous operation charges, the community needs protection from you.

“You were very lucky that you were not facing circumstances of aggravation in those dangerous operations - it could have been a lot worse.

“I am hoping this is the wake up call you need and you grasp that chance and you do end up going to rehabilitation.”

Mr McLennan said Weekes, who had been exposed to violence growing up, planned to leave Mackay on his release and wanted to return to the workforce.

Weekes was jailed for two years with parole release on August 9 and banned from driving for two years.
Convictions were recorded and the 208 days in presentence custody was declared time already served.