Mine worker Detroit Gurnick crashes car while .172 drunk

A Central Queensland mine worker, who has had numerous run-ins with the law over the past couple of years, has been given a jail warning following his latest blunder.

Detroit Breaker Gurnick faced Yeppoon Magistrates Court after he crashed a car while drunk.

A Central Queensland mine worker with a troubling recent history of court appearances has found himself back before a magistrate.

Detroit Breaker Gurnick, 29, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on March 23 to drink driving.

Police prosecutor Mirren Smith said at 5.10pm on January 18, Gurnick was driving a Toyota HiLux on Yeppoon Road when it left the road and crashed into a tree at Limestone Creek.

Ms Smith said Gurnick was able to get out of the vehicle and he waited until emergency services crews arrived.

Paramedics treated Gurnick at the scene and he was taken to Rockhampton Hospital.

He subsequently returned a blood alcohol reading of .172.

The court was told that Gurnick had previous drink driving offences on his history - the latest in 2020 when he returned a reading of .137.

For that offence, Gurnick was fined $1000 and disqualified from driving for 10 months.

During his November 2020 court appearance for drink driving, it heard Gurnick had racked up $9000 in SPER fines.

Gurnick also faced the Yeppoon court in March last year after he viciously attacked a supervisor more than 32 years his senior, during meal time at a mine workers’ accommodation campsite in Central Queensland.

On that occasion, he pleaded guilty to serious assault of a person over 60 and he was sentenced to four months’ jail, wholly suspended for an operational period of 12 months.

Gurnick, who currently works at a Blackwater mine as an operator, represented himself during his latest court appearance.

Magistrate Cameron Press asked him what he was doing about his alcohol abuse.

When Gurnick said he was going through “a rough patch”, Mr Press replied: “The rough patch better stop because if you go to jail, you’ll be having a rough patch out there, I’m sure.”

Mr Press added: “You’re not taking this seriously - you won’t be getting fined today.

“And certainly, if you come back before the court with drink driving of any sort in the future, you will be risking going to jail.”

Mr Press placed Gurnick on two years’ probation and disqualified him from driving for 14 months.