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Rockhampton drivers busted intoxicated by alcohol or drugs, driving while disqualified or unlicensed

Eleven drivers were dealt with in court recently, including a man who had battled a drug addiction for 20 years and a woman who drove disqualified four times as she was subject to reporting to police on bail conditions. Read here what happened.

Alleged blind drunk driver accused of leaving trail of carnage

Eleven drivers were dealt with in Rockhampton Magistrates Court recently, including a man who had battled a drug addiction for 20 years and a woman who drove disqualified four times as she was subject to reporting to police on bail conditions. Read here what happened.

Anthony Carlo Ponturo, 40, had methamphetamine in his system when he was intercepted driving on a provisional licence on Canning Street at The Range on April 14.

Anthony Carlo Ponturo, 40, Â had methamphetamine in his system when he was intercepted driving on a provisional licence on Canning Street at The Range on April 14. He pleaded guilty to one count of drug driving on August 11.
Anthony Carlo Ponturo, 40, Â had methamphetamine in his system when he was intercepted driving on a provisional licence on Canning Street at The Range on April 14. He pleaded guilty to one count of drug driving on August 11.

He pleaded guilty to one count of drug driving on August 11.

Ponturo had three prior convictions for drug driving on his traffic record which was six pages long.

Magistrate Cameron Press said Ponturo’s record was “one of the worst driving records I’ve ever seen”.

The court heard Ponturo had battled with a drug addiction for 20 years but had moved from Proserpine to Rockhampton to get away from drug associates and claimed he had managed to abstain from using drugs until he had a break down.

The court also heard Ponturo had been working full time since he arrived in Rockhampton, had been separated from his teenage son for three years and it was his son’s birthday around the time of the offending along with stress from staff shortages at work.

The court heard Ponturo had been to rehabilitation services and now knew what his triggers were.

Magistrate Cameron Press said Ponturo had been convicted of drug driving in 2016, 2020 and 2021.

He sentenced Ponturo to a three-month prison term, wholly suspended and operational for 12 months.

Mr Press also disqualified Ponturo from driving for six months.

Sheveleigh Rewa Graham, 28, drove four times, while disqualified, to a police station to report as part of bail conditions.

Sheveleigh Rewa Graham.
Sheveleigh Rewa Graham.

She pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on August 12 to four disqualified driving counts.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Kevin Ongheen said Graham had been attending the Gracemere Police Station to report as part of bail conditions for another matter.

He said police had cause to check Graham’s traffic record which showed she had been disqualified in court on September 14 for six months.

Sergeant Ongheen said CCTV recordings of Graham showed she drove to the station, reported and drove off four times between January 17 and February 11.

Defence lawyer Ashley Reynolds said her client had escaped a domestic violence relationship where drug use featured.

“She was concerned about walking to the police station due to the fact she knew him to be in the area,” Ms Reynolds said.

“She was concerned that she would be at risk of harm if she was located by him.

“She had spoken to police about this issue prior to being charged with these offences and … about changing her bail address to Emerald.

“However, police did not approve the change of address.”

Ms Reynolds said her client was working towards having her three children – currently cared for by their grandparents – back living with her.

Magistrate Cameron Press sentenced Graham to six months prison, wholly suspended and operational for two years.

He also placed her on 12 months probation, ordered her to pay a $700 fine and disqualified her from driving for eight years.

Barcelona Sovea Hokafonu, 44, was intercepted driving while disqualified by demerit points on the Bruce Highway near Raglan on July 15.

He pleaded guilty on August 11 to one count of driving while demerit point suspended.

Barcelona Sovea Hokafonu.
Barcelona Sovea Hokafonu.

Police prosecutor Stacey Bain said Hokafonu’s licence had been suspended on May 11 and was not due to be lifted until April 10, 2023.

Hokafonu’s car was immobilised for seven days.

Defence lawyer Mirren Smith said Hokafonu was going through a divorce and worked one month on and three days off and often worked eight weeks on with one week off.

She said he wasn’t aware of the suspension and would now organise for someone to collect his mail.

Magistrate Press said three pages on Hokafonu’s traffic record consisted of speeding offences and that was how he had accumulated some many demerit points.

“If you kill someone speeding, you’re not only changing their life, you’ll be changing yours because you’ll be in jail,” he said.

“Do something about your speeding before it overtakes your life and someone else’s.”

Mr Press fined him $500 and disqualified him from driving for six months.

Patrick Beau Allen, 40, had a blood-alcohol content reading of .148 when he was intercepted driving along the Capricorn Highway on July 27.

Allen pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on August 10 to one count each of drink driving and obstruct police officer.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Peter Rumford said when police asked Allen for his driver’s licence, he responded with offensive language and would not get out of his vehicle when told he was under arrest.

Senior Constable Rumford said police attempted to remove Allen from his vehicle and he resisted.

He said police struggled with Allen and both police and Allen fell to the ground where a further struggle continued, which resulted in police having to “present their tasers”.

Defence lawyer Samantha Legrady said her client was going through a difficult time and was “extremely sorry” for his actions.

Allen was fined $950 and disqualified from driving for 10 months with a traffic conviction recorded.

He was also ordered to six months’ probation with no criminal conviction recorded.

Travis Ryan Eastment, 22, had a BAC of .15 after drinking about nine beers and spirits between 9pm and 2.30am and was intercepted driving about 4.30am on July 18 along Breakspear Street, Gracemere.

He pleaded guilty to one count of drink driving on August 11.

Travis Ryan Eastment.
Travis Ryan Eastment.

The court heard Eastment told police he had driven to get some food and was driving to a friend’s place.

The court heard Eastment, a miner with two children, had arranged transport to and from work while he was without a licence.

Magistrate Cameron Press said Eastment’s reading was “high” and “it is a dangerous reading”.

Eastment was disqualified from driving for eight months and fined $900.

Marshall Henry, 26, had a BAC of .192 when he crashed his cousin’s unregistered and uninsured car on Razorback Road, Bouldercombe, on July 9 about 7.45pm

Henry pleaded guilty on August 8 to one count each of driving while his licence was suspended by the State Penalties Enforcement Registry, drink drive, drive an unregistered car and drive an uninsured car.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sarah Rowe said police were called to the crash and checks revealed Henry’s licence had been suspended by SPER since October 9, 2021.

She said the car was unregistered since August 2019 and therefore uninsured.

Senior Constable Rowe said Henry, who was slurring his words and smelt strongly of alcohol, told police he had drunk 12 beers since 2.30pm and was driving from Rockhampton to Mount Morgan.

Defence lawyer Rebecca Winning said the father-of-two had written off his cousin’s 1997 Excel.

Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale said .192 was a “horrific reading”.

She disqualified Henry from driving for 12 months, placed him on a 12 month probation order and ordered he pay $1100 in fines.

Harrison Fox Dennis had marijuana in his system when he was intercepted driving a silver Nissan on Yeppoon Road on May 28 about 10.30am.

He pleaded guilty to one count of drug driving on August 8.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sarah Rowe said Dennis told police he had consumed marijuana the night before in Mount Morgan and was driving home to Yeppoon.

The court heard Dennis had been busted drink driving in 2021 with a BAC of .063.

Dennis told the court this time that he had just secured a job at the mines in Dysart.

Magistrate Beckinsale said people often say “it’s just marijuana”, but is not: “it’s a gateway drug”.

She disqualified Dennis from driving for three months and ordered him to pay a $350 fine.

Jon Clowes had methamphetamines in his system when he was intercepted driving unlicensed as a repeat unlicensed driver on George Street, Rockhampton, on February 17 about 9pm.

Jon Clowes.
Jon Clowes.

Clowes pleaded guilty on August 8 to one count of drug drive unlicensed and one of driving unlicensed as a repeat offender.

The court heard Clowes had been convicted on February 3 for driving while intoxicated, his Victorian driver’s licence was subject to an interlock system from February 4, 2022 and he had been ordered onto an interlock system in New South Wales in March 2020.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sarah Rowe said Clowes told police he had moved to Rockhampton a year ago and had not organised to have a Queensland driver’s licence.

Clowes told the Rockhampton court he had been working as a roofer for the past two months.

Magistrate Beckinsale disqualified Clowes from driving for seven months and ordered him to pay fines totalling $1100.

Alana Betty-Jane Draper, 26, had marijuana in her system when she was intercepted driving on South Street, Rockhampton, on May 17 at 11.55am.

Alana Betty-Jane Draper, 26.
Alana Betty-Jane Draper, 26.

Draper pleaded guilty to one count of drug driving on August 8.

The court heard Draper, a single mother of three, was driving to her in-laws at the time to get money to buy groceries for her children.

She claimed she had used marijuana to calm herself down after her aunty died and cousin was assaulted.

Draper, who works at a liquor outlet, was disqualified from driving for three months and fined $350.

Joshua David Oates, 47, had marijuana in his system when he was intercepted driving along Canning Street, The Range on April 16 at 6.50am.

Oates pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on August 10 to the single drug driving charge.

Defence lawyer Brendan Gimbert said his client, who worked as a youth worker, was self medicating with marijuana for anxiety and depression.

“Following this offence he has now gotten onto a medicinal program,” Mr Gimbert said.

Oates was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for one month.

Ashley Jamie Roberts, 23, had marijuana and methamphetamine in his system when he was intercepted driving along Clifton Street, Rockhampton, on May 12 about 9.30pm.

Roberts pleaded guilty to the single drug driving charge in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on August 10.

Roberts told the court he worked as a traffic controller and would “probably no doubt” lose his job.

“I no longer touch or go near it,” he said when asked by the magistrate what he was doing about his drug use.

He was fined $550 and disqualified from driving for three months.

Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/rockhampton/police-courts/rockhampton-drivers-busted-intoxicated-by-alcohol-or-drugs-driving-while-disqualified-or-unlicensed/news-story/0aa6c09d9811e5178f669347dc172eff