Anita Hogden blows shocking drink-driving reading near Yeppoon

When police found a 60-year-old woman behind the wheel of a parked car near Yeppoon at night with the headlights still on, she told them “I’m drunk” before returning a shocking blood alcohol reading.

Police found a 60-year-old woman high-range drink driving at night on Mulara Road, Bondoola. Generic image.

A 60-year-old woman was almost four times the legal blood alcohol limit when police caught her drink driving at night near Yeppoon.

Anita Regina Hogden, 60, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on May 4 to drink driving.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Kevin Ongheen said about 9.10pm on April 8, Hogden came to the attention of police on Mulara Road at Bondoola.

“They (police) saw a motor vehicle sitting parked on the grass shoulder, (with) headlights on,” Sgt Ongheen said.

The prosecutor said when police spoke to Hogden, the driver, they saw the keys in the ignition and she told them: “I’m drunk.”

Hogden subsequently returned a blood alcohol reading of .181.

The court heard that while Hogden had a “dated” 2006 drink driving offence on her traffic history, she had no offending of this sort in the past five years.

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale gave the self-represented Hogden a chance to explain the circumstances behind her offending, but Hogden did not give any reason nor explanation for what had happened.

Hogden told Ms Beckinsale she was a pensioner who lived in Rockhampton.

Ms Beckinsale fined Hogden $1100 and disqualified her from driving for 11 months.