Gregory Richard Turnbull caught drink driving in Doonan while disqualified

A Sunshine Coast bricklayer who followed a car off the Bruce Hwy was found with numerous empty alcohol cans in his car, while sipping on another behind the wheel.

A Nambour bricklayer was drawn into the sights of police after he followed a car off the Bruce Hwy while drinking behind the wheel at Doonan.

Gregory Richard Turnbull, 35, had been drinking when he followed a driver towards Noosa Heads on June 4, 2022.

Noosa Magistrates Court heard the driver called police due to the Nambour man’s driving behaviour until they found officers at the United service station at Doonan at 5.47pm.

Police prosecutor Alison Johnstone said officers spoke to Turnbull shortly afterwards where they saw multiple empty tins of alcohol littered on the floor of his car along with an open can of liquor in the cupholder.

“When asked if he had been drinking he told police ‘yes I have had a drink’,” Sergeant Johnstone said.

Turnbull told police he had “a couple of vodkas” but when he was breath tested roadside he returned a blood-alcohol content of 0.163 per cent.

Gregory Richard Turnbull.

Police found he was also driving disqualified.

He was taken to the Noosa Heads police station but failed to provide a specimen of breath after being warned he was blowing too softly.

Turnbull, a bricklayer from Nambour, said he wanted to apologise to the police and the courts for the incident and said he did follow every instruction from police.

The 35-year-old pleaded guilty to drink driving, driving while disqualified, failing to provide a specimen of breath and drinking liquor while driving and was fined $1500.

He was then disqualified for three years, with a conviction recorded.