Owen Christoph Chivers and Emily Ann Barnett in court for drink driving
The same dumb decision has landed two Learner drivers in a South Burnett court.
Police & Courts
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Two L-platers have been caught drink-driving... in the same car.
Owen Christoph Chivers, 20, and Emily Ann Barnett, 20, appeared in Murgon Magistrates Court Tuesday on multiple charges relating to the same drink driving bust last year.
Police prosecutor Sophie Stewart told the court police saw Chivers and then Barnett driving the car, unsupervised and while under the influence.
The court heard Chivers was seen by police getting out of his car while it was still in motion on the Bunya Highway, Wondai, around midnight on December 21, 2024.
He then stumbled off the road before being approached by police officers, who discovered he was on his learner’s licence and the car wasn’t registered.
Meanwhile, Barnett, who was a passenger in the car, took control of the vehicle and drove up the road, before doing a U-turn and coming to a stop, where police found she was also a learner driver.
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Both defendants were taken to Murgon police station and given blood alcohol tests, with Chivers recording a result of 0.187 and Barnett 0.125.
Chivers pleaded guilty to one count each of driving an uninsured vehicle, driving an unregistered vehicle, driving under the influence, L-plates not properly displayed and clearly legible, and driving while unsupervised.
He was fined $1500 and disqualified from driving for 18 months.
Barnett pleaded guilty to one count each of driving an uninsured vehicle, driving an unregistered vehicle, being over the middle alcohol limit but not over the high alcohol limit while on a learner licence, L-plates not properly displayed and clearly legible, and driving while unsupervised.
She was fined $1200 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.
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