Colin James Williams pleads guilty to driving offences

A man with a history of drink driving told a court he had not had an accident in 60 years of driving, among other things.

Colin James Williams claimed a crash he was involved in while drink driving with a BAC of .123 on April 13 was his “first accident ever in over 60 years of driving”.

Colin James Williams claimed a crash he was involved in while drink driving with a BAC of .123 on April 13 was his “first accident ever in over 60 years of driving”.

Williams, who represented himself in court, was subject to an interlock order at the time and the white van he drove did not have one fitted.

He was also unlicensed when he drove and crashed on Pink Lily Road, Pink Lily, on March 6 at 5.49pm.

Police prosecutor Tiffany Moras said police were unable to breath test him at the crash scene due to his injuries and later attended Rockhampton Hospital to obtain a blood sample for testing.

She said Williams had not renewed his drivers license after being disqualified from driving for three months by a court on June 13, 2024.

She said he also failed, in April, to comply with an interlock condition also ordered by the court for a drink driving offence.

Williams said on that day, he had organised a lift to a friend’s place where his van was located and awaiting repairs.

He said he had no intention of driving that day but after consuming about six beers and then “overdoing it” when moving things around at the friend’s place, he started to struggle to breathe.

“I just couldn’t get a decent lung full of air,” Williams claimed.

He said he was driving home when he crashed because he didn’t own a mobile phone and the friend’s house did not have a landline.

Williams also claimed he had not drunk beer in 10 years and had been drinking wine for the drink driving offence he was convicted of in 2024.

He said he had stopped drinking beer after the May 2001 drink driving offence.

The court heard he had also been convicted of drink driving in December 2000.

“You’ve got quite a history of drink driving,” Magistrate Cameron Press said.

As the proceedings progressed, Williams told the court he was having difficulty concentrating as his brother was on life support in Townsville.

He said while he had been taken to hospital after this crash, it wasn’t for the breathing issues but for an injury he sustained in the crash.

Williams said he had been given medication by paramedics and his breathing “wasn’t too bad” when he went to hospital.

Williams pleaded guilty on June 11 to one count each of drink driving, driving unlicensed and driving a vehicle that wasn’t fitted with an interlock device.

He was fined $1200 and disqualified from driving for 10 months.

A traffic conviction was recorded.