Biloela court: 23 drivers caught on drugs, drunk, disqualified

No less than 23 drivers pleaded guilty in a Biloela court in just one day to traffic offences including drug-driving, drink-driving and driving while disqualified. Here’s who they were and what punishments they each received.

These 23 drivers pleaded guilty in Biloela Magistrates Court on June 22 to traffic offences on the region’s roads.

P-plater Sarah Elizabeth Van Helvoirt, 33, was caught driving with methamphetamines in her system on Gladstone Road on March 18.

As well as pleading guilty to drug-driving, Van Helvoirt also pleaded guilty to not displaying P-plates as required, and contravening a police requirement to produce her driver’s licence.

With a previous drink-driving offence in the past five years, Van Helvoirt was fined $845 and disqualified from driving for three months.

Adrian Daniel Marshall, 27, was caught driving with cannabis in his system on the Dawson Highway at Moura on May 3.

With no offending of this sort on his history, the bakery employee was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for one month.

P-plater Brylea Anne Griffiths, 18, was caught driving with cannabis in her system on Grevillea Street, Biloela, on April 2.

With no traffic history, Griffiths was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for three months.

Frank Lawrence James Malone, 31, blew a reading of .116 when he was caught drink-driving on the Dawson Highway at Biloela on June 11.

The court heard that Malone came to the attention of police after being involved in a single-vehicle crash.

With two previous drink-driving offences in the past five years, Malone, a mechanic, was placed on 18 months’ probation with conditions, and disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Peter John Baker, 48, blew a reading of .163 when he was caught drink-driving on Marshall Street, Moura, on May 21.

Solicitor Madison Kurtz said Baker was a married father of four who worked as an operator at Moura’s Dawson Mine.

Ms Kurtz said Baker would “quite likely” lose his job as a result of this offence and the licence disqualification.

Baker was fined $1500 and disqualified from driving for six months.

Stephen Richard Scott, 56, blew a reading of .145 when he was caught drink-driving on Paines Road, Biloela, on April 23.

Solicitor Madison Kurtz said Scott had lost his job as a truck driver as a result of this offence.

With no previous offending of this sort, Scott was fined $750 and disqualified from driving for five months.

Savina Angeline Sala-Tenna, 34, blew a reading of .195 when she was caught drink-driving on Gillespie Street, Moura, on June 11.

Solicitor Madison Kurtz said Sala-Tenna was a mother of two who resided near Rockhampton and worked in administration for a livestock agent.

With no previous offending of this sort, Sala-Tenna was fined $1200 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Charleen Alma Meekin, 39, was caught driving with methamphetamines in her system on the Leichhardt Highway, Banana, on May 11.

Meeking was on a probationary licence at the time.

Solicitor Madison Kurtz said Meekin was a mother who worked part-time as a motel cleaner.

With no previous offending of this sort, Meekin was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for three months.

Patricia Francis Evans, 44, blew a reading of .126 when she was caught drink-driving on the Dawson Highway, Biloela, on June 11.

With no offending of this kind in the past five years, Evans, a mother of six who works as a cook in the hospitality industry, was fined $650 and disqualified from driving for five months.

Aysha Marie Khachan, 35, pleaded guilty to two drug-driving offences.

The court heard the first time Khachan was caught was on February 22 on the Dawson Highway when she had both methamphetamines and cannabis in her system.

The second time Khachan was busted drug-driving was on April 5 at Moura when she had cannabis in her system.

The court heard that Khachan was a mine worker who got drug-tested at work, and this was her first time before a court for this type of offending.

Khachan was fined $700 and disqualified from driving for two months as her licence had already been suspended for three months.

Ross Edward Dooley, 44, blew a reading of .166 when he was caught drink-driving at Mount Murchison on March 2.

Dooley also pleaded guilty to driving while unlicensed, unregistered and uninsured, as well as failing to stop at a stop sign.

The court heard that on the day of the offence, Dooley had been in a two-vehicle traffic crash which resulted in significant damage to both vehicles.

With two drink-driving offences in the past five years, Dooley was fined $900, disqualified from driving for 12 months, and placed on 12 months’ probation.

Michael Alan Rosenberg, 30, had cannabis in his system when police caught him drug-driving and driving while unlicensed on the Burnett Highway, Prospect, on April 15.

The court heard that Rosenberg was SPER suspended at the time.

He was fined $650 and disqualified from driving for two months.

Gina Kathleen Douglass, 33, was caught driving with cannabis in her system on Charles Street, Banana, on April 4.

With no previous similar offending, the mother of two was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for one month.

Cohan Courtney Bligh, 29, was on a probationary licence when he was caught drink-driving (.040) at Monto on May 14.

The court heard that Bligh faced the prospect of losing his job as a result of this offending.

With two drug-driving offences on his history, Bligh was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for six months.

Kayla Michelle Eckhold, 35, was caught driving with cannabis in her system on the Dawson Highway on March 26.

With no history, Eckhold was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for one month.

Larry James Farquhar, 25, was caught driving while demerit-point disqualified on the Burnett Highway at Thangool on April 3.

Farquhar was fined $450 and disqualified from driving for six months.

Courtney Jayne Guinea, 31, blew a reading of .171 when she was caught drink-driving on the Dawson Highway at Moura on June 4.

With no history, Guinea was fined $1050 and disqualified from driving for six months.

Lachlan William Mill, 32, was caught driving with cannabis in his system on the Dawson Highway, Moura, on April 5.

With no previous offending of this sort, Mill was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for one month.

Andrew John Schluter, 39, was caught driving with cannabis in his system on Grevillea Street, Biloela, on March 5.

The court heard that Schluter was on a probationary licence at the time, and that this was his third drug-driving offence.

Schluter was placed on six months’ probation and disqualified from driving for six months.

P-plater Madeleine Anne Seccombe, 27, was caught driving with cannabis in her system and with no P-plates displayed, on the Dawson Highway, Moura, on April 5.

With a 2016 drug offence on her history, Seccombe was fined $650 and disqualified from driving for three months.

Danielle Louise Sim, 30, was caught driving with cannabis in her system on the Capricorn Highway, Westwood, on March 21.

With no previous offending of this kind, Sim was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for one month.

Jamie Zechariah Asa Taylor, 35, was caught driving with cannabis in his system at Biloela on May 3.

With two previous drug-driving offences on his history in the past five years, Taylor was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for three months.

Jake Anthony Adams, 28, was caught driving with both methamphetamines and cannabis in his system twice in February.

The first time Adams was caught was on February 7 on Rogers Street, Moura.

The second time he was caught was on February 17 at Baralaba.

As well as the two drug-driving offences, Adams pleaded guilty to possessing a drug utensil on February 17, and driving while demerit-point disqualified on the Leichhardt Highway on May 21.

With one previous unlicensed driving offence on his history, Adams was fined $1300 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.