Terrance Kilmond Tapsell sentenced to drunk driving at McDonalds Andergrove

A highly-paid scaffolder who drunk drove to get a midnight snack had a rude awakening while still in the drive through lane for McDonalds.

A man who drunk drove to get a post-midnight snack had a rude awakening after he fell asleep in his car while still in the drive through lane for McDonalds.

A Mackay man had a rude awakening after police found him passed out in a Maccas drive through in Andergrove.

Police prosecutor Leonie Taufa’ao said Terrance Kilmond Tapsell had drunk driven from his Slade Point address to get takeaway but could not remember exactly how many Great Northern beers he had consumed.

“On Saturday May 18 at approximately 2.50am police from the Northern Beaches attended McDonalds on Oak St due to reports that a male driver had fallen asleep in the drive through,” she said.

“Police observed a silver Nissan Navarro positioned in the McDonald’s drive through (and) the male driver was asleep with a mobile phone in his lap and the keys in the ignition, with the car placed in neutral.

“Police attempted to wake the driver multiple times by tapping him on his arm.

“(Tapsell) woke in a confused state, not aware of his surroundings initially.”

Ms Taufa’ao said Tapsell was given a breath test and transported to Mackay Police Station, where it was discovered his car was required to have an interlock device to prevent ignition without a clear breath test.

The court heard the Nissan was registered to another person and did not have an interlock device.

Tapsell pleaded guilty to drunk driving and driving without a prescribed interlock.

Defence lawyer Steven Hayles said his 49-year-old client had a son in his 20s and moved from New Zealand in 1988 to the area, where he now works a “high paying position” as a scaffolder with Hay Point.

Mr Hayles said Tapsell had been previously dealt with for a similar offence in 2020 but had attended a traffic offenders program to address issues with drink driving.

Magistrate Damien Dwyer remarked that penalty in 2020 was “insufficient to deter him from getting back on the road”.

Tapsell was sentenced to pay a $2000 fine within 28 days and was disqualified from holding a drivers licence for eight months.

Convictions were recorded.