Blake Carter pleads guilty to crime spree, dangerous driving incident at Australia Zoo
A Sunshine Coast man whose life is ‘ruled’ by meth has been handed more jail time after a trio of dangerous driving incidents including erratically navigating through an Australia Zoo event.
Police & Courts
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A court has heard how “meth rules” a Diddillibah man’s life after he was jailed for driving dangerously in the Sunshine Coast hinterland, including through a function at Australia Zoo.
Distressed witnesses watched in horror as Blake Adam Carter furiously tried to evade police around Landsborough and Beerwah, incidents which formed 10 charges the 34-year-old racked up from July 8 to July 21.
Carter pleaded guilty to all charges, including three counts of dangerous operation of a car while adversely affected, two of driving without a licence, and one of entering a premises with intent.
Police prosecutor Val Crossley told the court Carter was seen driving erratically in a stolen Subaru by police on July 19.
Senior Sergeant Crossley said these manoeuvres included driving around a roundabout multiple times opposite to the flow of traffic before he tried to reverse into an unmarked police car.
The court heard of another incident of dangerous driving the next day, where Carter travelled erratically through a function at Australia Zoo. She told the court 50 guests were present when Carter bizarrely drove through garden beds and narrowly missed a building.
The Diddillibah man was also seen yelling incoherently at the scene before he was approached by security.
Senior Sergeant Crossley said Carter was later arrested and spent four-and-a-half months in custody before he appeared in court on Tuesday by video from prison.
Defence lawyer Rose Killip said Carter had no previous entries for dangerous operation of a vehicle, however cited the 34-year-old’s extensive criminal history.
Ms Killip said Carter had a strong support network outside of jail who would organise his housing situation and employment upon his release.
She said the 34-year-old was a man who struggled when released from custody without supervision.
“Because he keeps going back to meth, meth rules, meth comes first, his criminal history is full of meth,” magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist said.
Mr Stjernqvist jailed Carter for two years and set his parole eligibility date at March 20 next year.
The Diddillibah man was also disqualified from driving indefinitely.
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