Meth caused diesel fitter Brett Joseph Barkle’s life to ‘spiral out of control’

Police found a 39-year-old Central Queensland man, who runs his own business, slumped over and passed out behind the wheel of his crashed car. Here’s how close the man came to killing himself on drugs.

Methamphetamine use caused a Central Queensland diesel fitter’s life to “spiral out of control” to the point where he almost killed himself in a car crash.

Brett Joseph Barkle, 39, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on March 10 to drug-driving, driving while disqualified by a court order, driving unregistered and uninsured, and possessing drug utensils.

The court heard that on June 1 last year, about 4pm, police were called to a single vehicle crash on Yeppoon Road at Bondoola, where the driver, Barkle, appeared to be slumped over and passed out in the driver’s seat.

There were no number plates on the vehicle.

When police arrived at the scene, they found Barkle slumped over in the driver’s seat and there were no other occupants in the vehicle.

Police Prosecutor Stacey Bain said officers observed Barkle to be incoherent and “heavily affected” by drugs.

Ms Bain said both police officers and ambulance officers assisted Barkle but he could not communicate with them due to his highly drug-affected state.

Barkle was taken to Yeppoon Hospital where he was tested and he returned positives to both amphetamine and methamphetamine.

Ms Bain said at the hospital, Barkle was slurring his words and still unable to answer any questions that were asked.

Police checks revealed that Barkle’s driver’s licence had been disqualified in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on May 4, 2021, through to August 3.

At the crash scene, police found two glass pipes inside Barkle’s vehicle which had been used to smoke methamphetamines.

The court heard Barkle had previous convictions for unlicensed driving and drug-driving on his traffic history.

Solicitor Krissy Cummins said Barkle was a diesel fitter who ran his own business and he had made “substantial efforts” to rehabilitate prior to being charged with these offences.

“His instructions are that his life was spiralling out of control at the time,” Ms Cummins said.

The solicitor added that Barkle, a father, had been going through a relationship breakdown and he had turned to drugs as a way of dealing with that.

“He describes this as a wake-up call,” Ms Cummins said.

“He has his own business and the loss of licence, or continued loss of licence, is obviously going to be detrimental to him.”

Ms Cummins said Barkle’s de facto partner would have to drive him around for work while he was disqualified from holding a licence.

Magistrate Cameron Press then added: “For a very long time.”

Before Mr Press handed down penalty, he commented on Barkle’s history.

“I do note, Sir, that you were previously before the court, being convicted of driving while a relevant drug is present in your saliva in May of last year,” Mr Press said.

“You were fined on that occasion … and disqualified for three months.

“And then less than a month after that, Sir, you drive with methamphetamine and amphetamines in your system.

“You drive when the court had told you that you couldn’t drive.

“You drive under the influence of those drugs and you end up causing a single-vehicle incident.

“If you had killed someone in your drug-induced stupor on this occasion, you would have been going to jail for several years … and you were so close to that.”

Mr Press fined Barkle $1450 and disqualified him from driving for two years and nine months.