Stanthorpe drink drivers: List of offenders sentenced in Stanthorpe Magistrates Court

A raft of offenders have had their date with the magistrate after being nabbed driving on our region’s roads while either over the legal alcohol limit or with an illegal drug in their system. Full list here:

Drink and drug drivers who fronted Stanthorpe Magistrates Court in the last week. Photo: iStock

A P-plater was nabbed driving while nearly three times the legal alcohol limit during a late-night drive, while a Granite Belt man was busted driving on a busy Granite Belt highway with meth in his system.

These two offenders are just some of the drink and drug drivers who fronted Stanthorpe Magistrates Court in the past week.

A Granite Belt man driving with meth and marijuana in his system claimed he used the drugs to cope with his back pain.

Christopher Fredrick McKinnon was busted drug driving at Applethorpe at 10.50am on May 7.

Police prosecutor Steve de Lissa said the 46-year-old had meth and marijuana in his system. He was also found with 1g of marijuana in his car and a used hypodermic syringe and needle.

Defence lawyer Clare Hine said her client suffered severe medical issues including chronic back pain and PTSD, and used drugs to cope.

McKinnon pleaded guilty to one count of drug driving, one count of possessing drugs and one count of failing to take care of needles and syringes.

The Amiens man was fined $800 and disqualified from driving for six months.

No conviction was recorded.

A P-plater was nabbed driving nearly three times over the legal alcohol limit during a late-night drive on a busy Stanthorpe road.

Lachlan Cayleb Birchall was busted by police on Wallangarra Road at 12.30am on June 20.

Police prosecutor Steve de Lissa said the 22-year-old recorded a blood alcohol concentration of 0.135.

Birchall told the court he had been unemployed since losing his licence.

He pleaded guilty to one count each of drink driving and failing to display P-plates.

The Stanthorpe man was fined $883 and disqualified from driving for seven months.

No conviction was recorded.

A woman has caught a lucky break after a magistrate granted her a work a licence after she was busted driving while more than twice the limit.

Jazmin Deana Lindsay-Smith had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.104 when she was pulled over at Wyberba on July 10.

The self-represented woman told the court she would lose her job if she couldn’t drive.

Magistrate Julian Noud said Lindsay-Smith’s reading was concerning but he didn’t want to “deprive” her of her right to earn a livelihood.

The Ballandean woman pleaded guilty to drink driving and was fined $650 and disqualified from driving for five months.

No conviction was recorded.

A Granite Belt man has claimed his long working hours paired with a family dinner was behind his decision to drink drive.

Sergeant de Lissa said David Maxwell McMahon was stopped on High Street at 12.30am on June 12. 

The 28-year-old recorded a blood alcohol concentration of 0.092.

The self-represented McMahon said he had been out drinking with his family that night after working a 70-hour week and was disappointed in his actions.

The Pozieres man pleaded guilty to one count of drink driving.

He was fined $500 and disqualified from driving for three months.

No conviction was recorded.

A 29-year-old busted drug driving told a court he used marijuana to combat chronic pain following a motorbike accident almost a decade ago.

Sergeant de Lissa said Kyle Robert Simpson was busted driving with marijuana in his system on High Street at 6.20am on April 11.

The Mount Tully man pleaded guilty to one count of drug driving.

He was fined $650 and disqualified from driving for four months.

An orchard worker caught drug driving on a busy Stanthorpe street said his actions that afternoon were naive.

Police prosecutor Steve de Lissa said Charlie McNair Boullier was drug driving with marijuana in his system on High Street on May 24 at 4.20pm.

The self-represented 27-year-old said he was remorseful of his “naive” actions.

The Fletcher man pleaded guilty to one count of drug driving.

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

No conviction was recorded.

A Granite Belt motorbike rider told the court he was remorseful after being nabbed drug driving on a busy highway.

Marc Tevaiti Ciantar was stopped on the Cunningham Highway at 5.30pm on May 2.

The 29-year-old said pleaded guilty to one count of driving with marijuana in his system.

The Cottonvale man was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for one month.

No conviction was recorded.