NAMED: Yeppoon’s worst drink-drivers in court this year
Plenty of people have appeared in court for getting behind the wheel really drunk.
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Here are some of the worst drink-driving offenders who have pleaded guilty to their offending in Yeppoon Magistrates Court this year, listed in order of the highest blood alcohol concentration (BAC) readings.
BAC Reading .180
Beau Patrick Mathews, 22, blew almost four times the legal limit when he was caught driving on Yeppoon’s Braithwaite St on December 12.
His blood alcohol reading was 0.180.
Representing himself in court on January 14, Mathews, who had a very limited traffic history, told Magistrate Jason Schubert that his decision to drive after being at the pub was “very stupid”.
Mr Schubert fined Mathews $1200 and disqualified him from driving for 12 months.
BAC Reading .164
A Capricorn Coast man who rode a quad bike home after drinks with neighbours crashed and suffered serious injuries.
Steven Wilbur Clarke, a self-employed carpenter, only had to travel about 40m to get to his Bondoola Rd residence but his return journey ended in disaster when he crashed into the letterbox in his driveway.
His wife called an ambulance and after paramedics treated Clarke on scene, he was taken to hospital.
His injuries were severe.
Clarke suffered eight broken ribs - some of which were broken twice for a total of 12 breaks.
He had a punctured lung and a broken shoulder.
His fractured skull also led to bleeding behind an eye which was ultimately the most serious of all the injuries suffered.
On the night of the incident, police attended Rockhampton Hospital and tests confirmed Clarke had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.164.
Clarke, 37, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on January 14 to drink-driving and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle.
He was fined $1200 and disqualified from driving for six months.
BAC Reading .130
A linen factory floor manager caught drink-driving for the sixth time has been fined.
Gavin John West, 57, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on January 21 to the offence.
The court heard that West returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.130 after being intercepted on Yeppoon-Rockhampton Rd on December 20.
Magistrate Jason Schubert said West’s traffic history was “awful” with five previous drink-driving offences, the last being in 2016.
Mr Schubert convicted and fined West $1100 and disqualified him from driving for 11 months.
BAC Reading .128
A mechanical trades assistant was caught drink-driving after a day with friends at a Yeppoon pub.
Hunter Michael Decman, 22, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on February 4 to the offence.
The court heard that Decman blew 0.128 after police intercepted him on Mackays Rd at Bondoola on November 15.
Decman was fined $850 and disqualified from driving for three months.
BAC Reading .119
A Yeppoon P-plater consumed 20 alcoholic drinks before getting behind the wheel, a court has heard.
Ivan Mark Davenport, 29, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on January 7 to drink-driving.
The court heard that police spoke to Davenport at 2am on November 29 while attending Rawlings St at Yeppoon in relation to another matter.
During those conversations, Davenport admitted he had driven there from Tanby after consuming about 20 drinks.
He returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.119.
Acting Magistrate John Milburn heard that Davenport had a limited traffic history before fining him $650 and disqualifying him from driving for five months.
BAC Reading .117
If David John Hill thought he was okay to drive on New Year’s Day after 20 bourbons the night before, he was wrong.
The 43-year-old was nabbed by police on the Scenic Hwy at Yeppoon at 8.25am.
He blew 0.117.
Hill pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on January 14 to drink-driving.
The court was told Hill had no offences of a like nature since 2011 but prior to that his traffic history was “absolutely appalling” including being placed on a suspended jail sentence for drink-driving.
Hill told Magistrate Jason Schubert that he was extremely disappointed in himself because he had already cost himself a job by offending.
Mr Schubert fined Hill $1000 and disqualified him from driving for eight months.
BAC Reading .110
Council worker Mitchel James Johnston was upfront with an acting magistrate as he explained the fallout of his drink-driving blunder.
“I regret my decision - I’ve embarrassed myself, my peers and my family,” the 21-year-old told John Milburn in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on January 7.
“I’m an advocate for being the sober driver in my peer group.
“It (drink-driving) hasn’t happened before and it wouldn’t happen again.”
Johnston pleaded guilty to the drink-driving charge which stemmed from police intercepting him on Farnborough Rd, Yeppoon, about 2am on December 13.
He returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.110.
Johnston tendered a character reference which was accepted by Acting Magistrate Milburn.
Mr Milburn fined Johnston $650 and disqualified him from driving for five months.
BAC Reading .102
A P-plater was giving friends lifts home when she got caught drink-driving at Yeppoon.
Bella Grace Edwards, 19, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on January 21 to the offence.
The court heard that police stopped Edwards on Ben St at 2.05am on December 27.
She returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.102.
Edwards told Magistrate Jason Schubert she knew that p-platers had a zero alcohol limit.
Mr Schubert noted that Edwards had a very limited traffic history before fining her $650 and disqualifying her from driving for five months.
BAC Reading .102
Mark Norris, 47, was stopped by police on the Scenic Highway at Yeppoon on December 26.
He recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.102.
The court was told on January 14 that Norris had a limited traffic history with no similar offending.
He was fined $650 and disqualified from driving for five months.
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