Drivers convicted in Rockhampton Magistrates Court recently

One repeat drunk driver drove to cop station to pick up drink driving wife

Drivers convicted in Rockhampton Magistrate’s Court recently:

A man disqualified from driving after drink driving, drove to a police station while intoxicated to pick his wife up after she had been intercepted drink driving.

George Kirkwood Pomana, 60, pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on July 7 to one count each of drink driving and disqualified driving.

George Kirkwood Pomana, 60, who had beendisqualified from driving after drink driving, drove to a police station while intoxicated to pick his wife up after she had been intercepted drink driving.

Police prosecutor Acting Sergeant Sarah Rowe said police observed the white Hyundai Pomana had driven, park outside the Coomera police station at 12.20am on May 8.

She said Pomana admitted he drove the vehicle to the police to pick up someone.

Pomana had a blood-alcohol content (BAC) reading .067 and had been disqualified from driving in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on September 2, 2021, for two years.

Defence lawyer Samantha Legrady said the machine-operator’s wife had been arrested for drink driving and was worried she would be upset with being locked up for so long.

Acting Magistrate Ron Muirhead said Pomana had been busted drinking driving three times previously – having a BAC of .149 in August 2020, .085 in January 2018 and .043 in April 2018.

He also had two prior convictions for disqualified driving.

Mr Muirhead ordered Pomana to pay $2200 in fines and disqualified him from driving for two years and nine months.

Kye John Evans,19, had his learners licence disqualified by a court in January 2022 for two years but was intercepted driving on Moores Creek Road at 9am on May 3, 2022, and again on East Street on June 6, 2022, at 10.30pm.

Evans pleaded guilty to two disqualified driving charges on June 28.

Police prosecutor Acting Sergeant Sarah Rowe said police caught up with Evans outside a Depot Hill residence.

She said he told them he had driven to pick up items for his stepchild.

Defence lawyer Samantha Legrady said Evans’s partner had just had a baby and he helps her raise his six-year-old stepdaughter.

She said he explained the first disqualified driving occurred as he went to get nappes and the second when he went to get groceries for the baby.

Evans was disqualified from driving for a further four years and fined $1800.

Solomon Batu, 25, drove after his licence was suspended by the State Penalties Enforcement Registry.

Solomon Batu, 25, drove after his licence was suspended by the State Penalties Enforcement Registry.The suspension started on February 25, 2022, and Batu was intercepted driving on June 12, 2022, along Hinton Street, Koongal, about 2.30pm.

The suspension started on February 25, 2022, and Batu was intercepted driving on June 12, 2022, along Hinton Street, Koongal, about 2.30pm.

He pleaded guilty on June 28 to a charge of driving while licence suspended.

Batu was disqualified from driving for one month and fined $300.

Stacey Jane Graham, 35, had a blood-alcohol content reading of .076 when she was intercepted driving a silver Holden Commodore on Connor Street, Koongal, at 8.30am on March 23.

Stacey Jane Graham, 35, had a blood alcohol content reading of .076 when she was intercepted driving a silver Holden Commodore on Connor Street, Koongal, at 8.30am on March 23.She also had 3.9g of marijuana in her jeans pocket.

She also had 3.9g of marijuana in her jeans pocket.

Defence lawyer Samantha Legrady said the mother of one and full-time administration worker’s grandmother had just been buried and she had been drinking the afternoon prior to the intercept.

Graham had a drug driving conviction on her traffic record.

She was disqualified from driving for five months for the drink driving offence, fined $500 for that and fined $700 for the marijuana possession.

Sam Adrian Mcconville, 26, had a blood-alcohol content (BAC) reading of .066 when he was intercepted driving along Bolsover Street, Rockhampton, on June 14 at 8.30pm.

Sam Adrian Mcconville, 26, appeared in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on July 6, 2022. Picture: Geordi Offord

Mcconville pleaded guilty to the single drink driving charge in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on July 6.

Police prosecutor Brandy Butler said Mcconville told police he had consumed alcohol during the night prior to heading home from a friend’s place.

Ms Butler said Mcconville was drinking Great Northern full-strength beer and that he had a few.

Mcconville was fined $550 and disqualified from driving for four months.

Brendan Garry Smedley, 34, had methamphetamine and marijuana in his system and was unlicensed when he was intercepted driving along Tableland Road on January 20.

Smedley pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on July 6 to three counts of driving without a licence and two counts of drug driving.

Police prosecutor Brandy Butler said Smedley told police he had consumed dangerous drugs that morning.

Ms Butler said Smedley further told police he had recently been released from prison and hadn’t had time to reinstate his driver’s licence.

She said checks revealed he hadn’t had a valid driver’s licence since January 19, 2017.

She said Smedley was unlicensed when he was intercepted driving along Bowlin Road, Port Curtis, on April 10 about 10.20am.

Seven days later, Smedley was again unlicensed and had meth and marijuana in his system when he was intercepted driving along the Burnett Highway, Bouldercombe, on April 17 about 11.05am.

Ms Butler said Smedley told police he smoked marijuana regularly and had consumed 10 cones of the drug in the last 24 hours and had consumed meth on the Tuesday prior.

She said Smedley was on a suspended sentence at the time of committing the offences.

Defence lawyer Samantha Legrady said her client had accepted he needed to “rid his life of drugs”.

“He has given up the drug meth and is working hard to give up marijuana,” Ms Legrady said.

“He has been engaging with Drug ARM.”

Smedley was sentenced to three months’ prison, suspended by 15 months, with convictions recorded.

He was disqualified from driving for 17 months and the suspended sentence imposed on July 29, 2021 was extended by three months.

Taxi driver Inderjit Singh was driving his personal car when he was intercepted driving with a BAC reading of .146 on May 29 about 10.32pm after police observed him speeding along Moores Creek Road, down Yaamba Road and turn right at the High Street intersection, going through a red light.

Police prosecutor Acting Sergeant Sarah Rowe said Singh went so fast through the intersection, the vehicle slid and narrowly missed an island where he would have collided with traffic lights.

She said police spoke with Singh in the Stockland Rockhampton carpark where he had pulled over.

Acting Sergeant Rowe said Singh told police he had two spirits drinks and one beer between 8.30pm and 9.30pm.

Defence lawyer Jess King said this incident was the first time Singh had ever spoken to police.

She said her client had been at a party when he was informed his wife was unwell.

Ms King said Singh’s wife had medical problems since the birth of their son recently and she had not been able to drive.

She said he had been without his licence since being intercepted.

Singh was disqualified from driving for six months, fined $1200 and granted a restricted licence.