Seven people plead guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court to drink-driving offences

A mechanic, a boat repairer, and a site manager of a roofing company were among those punished for their offending on the roads. Here’s what penalties they each copped.

Seven drink-drivers pleaded guilty in a Yeppoon court on May 12 to their offending on the region’s roads.

Here’s who they were:

MAY 12, Yeppoon Magistrates Court:

Jason Phillip Way, 53, blew a high-range reading of .169 when he was caught drink-driving on Waterline Way at Yeppoon on April 29.

Representing himself in court, Way said he was a self-employed boat repairer who worked locally as well as in Gladstone and Mackay.

Way said “obviously I’ve made a big mistake” as he explained that the loss of his licence would affect his work capabilities.

With two previous drink-driving offences on his history but nothing in the past five years, Way was fined $1050 and disqualified from driving for nine months.

Bryn Wheelhouse, 21, blew a reading of .168 when he was caught drink-driving on Farnborough Road on April 2.

With a previous drink-driving offence in the past two years, the second-year apprentice roofer and plumber was fined $1100 and disqualified from driving for nine months.

Michael Ronald Hugh Chardon, 27, returned a reading of .101 when he was caught drink-driving on Tanby Road on April 10.

The court heard that Chardon, a mechanic, had “a dated traffic history”.

He was fined $650 and disqualified from driving for four months. He was granted a restricted licence for work.

Ryan Moschioni, 27, was caught drink-driving on Yeppoon’s Queen Street on March 31.

He returned a reading of .086.

With no previous offending of this sort on his traffic history, Moschioni was fined $500 and disqualified from driving for three months.

P-plater Enrico Van Der Merwe, 18, should have had no alcohol in his system but he was caught with a blood alcohol content of .099 when police intercepted him on Farnborough Road on April 24.

Van Der Merwe told the court he worked as a sales consultant with Telstra and his offending was “a stupid mistake”.

With no traffic history at all, Van Der Merwe was fined $500 and disqualified from driving for three months.

Benjamin Mark Hicks, 46, was caught drink-driving on Yeppoon Road at Bondoola, on March 15, with a reading of .066.

The court heard Hicks worked as a site manager of a roofing company and that he had no offending of this sort on his traffic history.

He was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for one month. He was granted a restricted licence for work purposes.

Louis Daniel Hopgood, 42, returned a reading of .111 when he was caught drink-driving on Yeppoon Road at Mulara on April 27.

The court heard Hopgood had a previous drink-driving offence in 2020, and in relation to the latest offence, Hopgood, representing himself in court, said he was ashamed and he apologised for his actions.

He was fined $850 and disqualified from driving for eight months.