Rockhampton crime wrap: List of traffic offenders September 8-16
A man more than four times the alcohol limit who rolled his car on Emu Park Road was one of more than a dozen drivers who faced court for offences recently. Full names and details here.
Police & Courts
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A number of people pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court over the past two weeks to either drink driving, drug driving, or driving without a licence.
Michael James William Campbell had a blood-alcohol content (BAC) reading of .232 when he rolled his vehicle on Emu Park Road, Rockhampton, on July 23.
Campbell pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on September 8 to the single drink driving charge.
Police prosecutor Sarah Rowe said Campbell was seen to be swerving onto the wrong side of the road by a witness when his vehicle struck an embankment and rolled.
Ms Rowe said Campbell was sitting on the ground, appeared “grossly intoxicated” and was argumentative and uncooperative with police.
She said numerous empty UDL alcohol cans were found inside the vehicle.
She said Campbell told police he wasn’t driving and that he had been dropped off by the Berserker Tavern courtesy bus.
Magistrate Cameron Press said it was a “dangerous reading”.
“You were fortunate you didn’t kill someone or kill yourself,” Mr Press said.
Campbell said he had made serious lifestyle changes since committing the offence.
“I know it was a mistake and something I must live with,” he said.
He was fined $1000 and disqualified from driving for 11 months with a traffic conviction recorded.
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Hannah Bree Edwards, 20, had amphetamine and methamphetamine in her system when she was driving in Rockhampton on May 23.
Edwards pleaded guilty to the single drug driving charge in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on September 8.
Police prosecutor Sarah Rowe said Edwards was seen by a member of the public driving erratically on Lakes Creek Road about 4pm.
Ms Rowe said the information was broadcast over police radio and an associate listening to the police scanner called Edwards about the incident, which prompted her to drive to Rockhampton Police Station on Bolsover Street.
She said Edwards was questioned about whether she had been involved in any traffic incidents, to which she replied that she had drifted onto the wrong side of the road while driving but corrected the vehicle.
She said Edwards told police she had smoked dangerous drugs the day before, namely meth.
Magistrate Cameron Press told Edwards to do something about her drug use.
“You could have killed someone; you could have killed yourself,” Mr Press said.
Edwards was fined $800 and disqualified from driving for six months with a traffic conviction recorded.
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Mervyn James Bryan, 89, was caught driving in Mount Morgan while his licence was State Penalty Enforcement Registry suspended.
Bryan pleaded guilty to the single unlicensed driving charge in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on September 8.
Police prosecutor Sarah Rowe said police were monitoring vehicles and persons at Mount Morgan IGA on Dee Street about 5.30pm on July 29 when they spoke to Bryan.
Ms Rowe said checks revealed Bryan’s licence was SPER suspended on July 17.
Defence lawyer Samantha Legrady said her client, who would be 90 years old in November, didn’t realise his licence was suspended.
Ms Legrady said there was a new postman in Mount Morgan and that her client claimed his mail must have gone missing.
“He doesn’t have a phone or internet, so he wasn’t aware of any suspension of his driver’s licence,” she said.
“He paid his SPER debts straight away and is up to date with that.”
She said her client was asking for the minimum suspension period as he claimed that he couldn’t walk far.
“He was a champion dancer once before but when he was 38 years old, he foolishly tried to stop a log from rolling down a hill and had all his toes broken, so it will be an inconvenience for him,” she said.
Bryan was fined $250 and disqualified from driving for one month.
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Joshua Steven Russell, 33, was busted driving on Lawrie Street, Gracemere on June 25 and a month later, on Kerrigan Street, Frenchville, on August 21, while his licence was suspended due to demerit points.
Police prosecutor Brandy Butler said Russell was the sole occupant of a white Commodore when he was busted driving on June 25 about 5.30pm.
She said the police’s attention was drawn to him due to the manner of his driving which included revving and losing traction.
His licence had been suspended on June 2 and he told police he did not receive the notice and he was on his way to pick up a child.
Ms Butler said he was next intercepted driving a blue Prado on Kerrigan Street and told police he was driving from an associate’s place to his.
Defence lawyer Samantha Legrady said her client had four children of which he had shared care, and he worked as a mechanic for GCED Mechanical and Hydraulics.
Magistrate Cameron Press warned Russell, who had an extensive traffic record, that if he kept offending, he would go to jail.
He ordered Russell to pay $800 in fines and disqualified him from driving for 12 months.
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Ngaronoa Noah Mangu, 39, was intercepted drink driving on Elphinstone Street, North Rockhampton, on August 15 about 8.27am and his drivers licence had expired 2664 days prior to intercept.
He also had a BAC of 0.99 after consuming 10 beers the night before.
Mangu was fined $850 and disqualified from driving for five months.
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Sriraghau Rangarajan, 25, crashed a Nissan X-trail into a fence on Smithwick Street, Norman Gardens, on July 27 and had a BAC of .085.
Defence lawyer Samantha Legrady said Rangarajan was a civil engineer masters student and worked five jobs – Uber driver, Menulog driver, Pizza Hut, Woolworths employee and at a car wash.
She said he had worked out a way to continue working while his licence was disqualified.
Rangarajan was fined $450 and disqualified from driving for two months.
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Brian Russell Webber had marijuana and meth in his system when he was intercepted driving on Canning Street, Rockhampton, on June 27.
He was found in possession of marijuana and drug utensils on August 17 for which he told police he consumed for health conditions.
The stay-at-home father and carer of his mother was fined $450 and disqualified from driving for three months.
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Sheveleigh Rewa Graham, 27, was intercepted driving on Charles Street, North Rockhampton, at 8.47pm on June 17 and checks revealed her licence had been high speed suspended from January 1 until June 30, 2021.
Two months later, she was in a car with three males when it broke down and they broke into a shed on Ridgelands Road, stealing two jerry cans of fuel in front of the owner, at 10.30am on August 19.
Defence lawyer Samantha Legrady said Graham had since relocated from Rockhampton and away from bad influences and had been a daily meth user but now only used once a week with hopes to kick the habit.
Graham was placed on a two-year probation order with conditions and disqualified from driving for six months. No criminal conviction was recorded.
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Graham Stanley Clarke, 63, had a BAC of .116 after drinking five or six schooners of beer at the Gracemere Hotel before driving on Gavial-Gracemere Road at 8.05pm on August 13.
He was fined $650, disqualified from driving for five months and granted a restricted licence to drive a truck as he is the owner and operator of a transport company.
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James Frederick Dockery, 40, had a BAC of .067 when he was intercepted driving on Farm Street, Park Avenue, at 10.13pm on August 22.
He told police he had consumed ten 375ml Great Northern beers between 3pm and 10pm and was driving to McDonalds for food.
Dockery was fined $450 and disqualified from driving for three months.
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Daniel James Philippe Tyson was intercepted driving in Wandal on August 21 at 9.20am while his licence had been suspended by State Penalty Enforcement Registry.
He told police he had picked up the vehicle and was driving it home.
Tyson was fined $200 and disqualified from driving for one month.
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Jason Allen Marsh had a BAC .054 when he was intercepted driving on Lakes Creek Road, North Rockhampton, at 6.30pm on August 20.
He told police he had consumed four Great Northern stubbies before driving.
Marsh was fined $450 and disqualified from driving for two months.
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Sonia Leanne Rowell had a BAC of .121 when she was intercepted driving on Elphinstone Street on September 1 at 8.35am.
She told police she had consumed two and a half bottles of sauvignon blanc wine starting at 5.30pm the day before.
Defence lawyer Jess King said her client instructed this instance had been a “serious lapse in judgement”.
She said Rowell woke up extremely tired the next day, which impacted her decision making.
Rowell was fined $650 and disqualified from driving for six months.
A restricted licence was granted.
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Douglas Frederick Richards-Trandby, 22, was intercepted driving on the Burnett Highway at Bouldercombe on August 18 about 2.10pm while his licence was disqualified due to demerit points.
Magistrate Jason Schubert said Richards-Tranby’s history was “quite interesting”.
He said it included Richards-Tranby being intercepted driving on a learner’s licence, not displaying his L plates and failing to have a open-licence holder supervising, on May 28, 2021.
The court heard the August 18 instance was similar to the May offending.
Richards-Tranby told the court he had been close to having the required hours booked up to take the driving test to get a provisional licence before the May intercept.
Mr Schubert fined Richards-Tranby $450 and disqualified him from driving for six months.
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Wayde Meinata Dale Henry had a BAC of .06 when he was intercepted driving on Gavial-Gracemere Road, Gracemere, on August 21 at 8.45pm.
He told police he had been at The Bavarian restaurant having dinner with his partner for her birthday and had consumed one 1000ml sized Great Northern beer, starting at 6.30pm and finishing at 8pm.
Henry thought he would be under the legal limit.
He was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for one month.
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