Biloela Magistrates Court: Eight drug or drink-drivers plead guilty

One Central Queensland man’s traffic offending was so bad, he was banned from driving on our roads for five years. Full details here.

Eight people pleaded guilty in Biloela Magistrates Court on July 27 to drug-driving or drink-driving.

Here’s who they were:

Jessica Leigh Bell, 31, was caught driving with cannabis in her system on the Dawson Highway at Banana on April 28.

The court heard that Bell was a mother who had a previous drug-driving offence on her history from 2021.

She was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for three months.

Stephen James Vasseleu, 34, was caught driving with cannabis in his system at Isla, a rural locality in the Banana Shire, on March 7.

Vasseleu appeared in court by phone and he told Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale he was currently experiencing hardship and living his car interstate.

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

Jeffrey John Fagg, 33, blew a reading of .121 when he was caught drink-driving on the Burnett Highway on June 9.

The court heard that Fagg was on a probationary licence at the time, meaning he had a zero blood alcohol limit.

A solicitor tendered a reference from Fagg’s employer and also documentation which showed he had engaged with Drug ARM (professional help for addiction).

The court was told that Fagg was a father who worked as a chef, and that he had a previous drink-driving offence and a drug-driving offence on his history in the past five year.

He was placed on probation for 12 months, fined $250 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Kevin Jeffrey Clark, 65, blew a reading of .182 when he was caught drink-driving at Biloela on April 15.

The court heard that Clark was busted for the offence after he was seen driving into temporary fencing at the Boomerang Caravan Park.

Magistrate Beckinsale noted that Clark, a disability pensioner, had three previous drink-driving offences on his history (BAC readings .150; .152; .139).

She fined Clark $1500 and disqualified him from driving for 15 months.

Travis Charles Perry, 26, was caught drug-driving twice in the space of a month - both times with methamphetamines in his system.

This first time Perry was caught was on May 2, on Biloela’s Dunn Street.

The second time he was busted was on the Dawson Highway on May 18.

As well as pleading guilty to the two drug-driving charges, Perry pleaded guilty to two counts of unlicensed driving which occurred on May 22 and May 30, both at Banana - after the drug-driving incidents which resulted in licence suspensions.

The court heard that Perry had similar offending to these charges, on his traffic history.

Solicitor Richard Parks said Perry was employed as a service station attendant but he was currently on unpaid leave so that he could “get his act together” in relation to his drug issues.

Magistrate Beckinsale fined Perry $1200 and disqualified him from driving for 5 years.

P-plater Aaden Wilhelm Naumann-Otto, 20, was caught driving with cannabis in his system on the Dawson Highway at Mount Alma, on May 18.

The court heard that Naumann-Otto had a previous drug-driving offence on his history from 2021.

He was fined $550 and disqualified from driving for three months.

Stevan Tomich.

Stevan Tomich, 36, blew a reading of .270 when he was caught drink-driving at Biloela on April 17.

As well as pleading guilty to drink-driving, Tomich pleaded guilty to unlicensed driving and a public nuisance offence.

The court heard that Tomich was a father of eight who had no drink-driving history, and he had consumed three Powerade bottles of wine before he drove and got caught.

A solicitor said Tomich admitted that he had issues with alcohol.

He was placed on probation for 12 months, fined $450, disqualified from driving for 15 months, and sentenced to one month jail, wholly suspended for 12 months.

Convictions were recorded.

Dianne Marie Wessling, 61, blew a reading of .077 when she was caught drink-driving on the Dawson Highway at Moura, on June 22.

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