Teacher found passed out drunk and four times over limit

Primary school teacher learns a harsh lesson about drink driving after blowing four times over the limit.

DRINK DRIVE: Generic drink driving image.

A SOUTH Burnett teacher has blown more than four times the legal blood-alcohol limit after he was found passed out at Murgon BP in the driver's side area on Melbourne Cup Day.

Witnesses told police he had driven to the station on the Bunya Highway about 10.50pm on November 5 and walked around his car before getting back into it.

Craig Ryan Nelson, who teaches Year 3 and 4 at Wheatlands State School, faced Murgon Magistrates Court on November 19 charged with driving under the influence.

Police prosecutor Barry Stevens told the court it had taken several attempts to wake him, and he smelt strongly of liquor and blew a reading of 0.207 blood alcohol concentration.

Defence lawyer Lisa Taylor said Nelson was "utterly remorseful for placing other road users at risk" which he had shown by providing a written apology to police, completing a Queensland traffic offenders program and pleading guilty on the first occasion.

Ms Taylor said Nelson, who had no history of drink-driving, had been cycling 28km to and from work since losing his licence.

While there was no evidence from police of Nelson driving, magistrate Louisa Pink said the condition that he was in was "concerning".

Nelson was fined $1100 and disqualified from driving for eight months. Following the eight- month disqualification he will be required to have an interlock device fitted on his car.

No conviction was recorded due to the potential impact it could have on his career.

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