Nine drink and drug drivers enter guilty pleas in Maroochydore Magistrates Court
A man who crashed into traffic lights before blowing over the limit was among nine Coast people who faced court after being caught driving with alcohol or drugs in their system.
Police & Courts
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There were nine people caught driving on Coast roads with either alcohol or drugs in their system who pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Monday, July 26.
Steven Keith Rouget, 39, pleaded guilty to driving over the general alcohol limit but not over the middle alcohol limit and driving without due care and attention.
The court heard Rouget had crashed his car into a set of traffic lights in Sippy Downs about 5.10pm on May 29, knocking them over.
Rouget had told officers at the time he was “being a f--khead”.
He recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.76.
Rouget told the court he’d lost control of the automatic car because he was used to driving a manual.
The Mountain Creek man was given a work licence to continue the operation of his tow truck business.
He was convicted, fined $700 and disqualified from driving for three months.
Bradley Michael Vallencour, 27, pleaded guilty to driving while a relevant drug was in his system on Sixth Ave in Maroochydore at 8.40pm on April 10.
The court heard the Sunrise Beach man had admitted to frequent drug use after he was forced to close his restaurant.
It heard Vallencour had gone to rehabilitation after the drug driving incident.
He was disqualified for one month from driving and fined $150. No conviction was recorded.
Magistrate Maxine Baldwin said she hoped he’d learn his lesson after the rehabilitation work.
Alexander Scott Tollis, 18, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol in Coolum Beach.
Police prosecutor Rebecca Lambert said officers had seen Tollis in the driver's seat of a car parked in Coolum Beach Hotel car park with the key in the ignition.
He later recorded a breath analysis of 0.141.
The provisional licence holder said he had no plans to drive the car but was sitting in the driver’s seat while he charged his phone before he found a way to get home. Tollis was convicted and fined $500.
He also was disqualified from driving for five months. Tollis said he would most likely lose his job as a plumbing apprentice but accepted the consequences.
Nathan Charles Morgan pleaded guilty to driving on Nambour Connection Road at Yandina while his licence was suspended and with a drug present in his saliva on May 8.
The court heard the 42-year-old, who teaches Indigenous studies to children across the Sunshine Coast, had been at a funeral the day before where he had smoked marijuana.
Ms Baldwin said “we can’t have afford to have people who are inspiration and leaders like you, doing something silly like” drug driving.
He was convicted, disqualified from driving for four months and fined $300.
Jyi Ethan Oakes, 20, pleaded guilty to driving while over the general alcohol limit but not over middle alcohol limit while on provisional license at Crayfish Street in Mountain Creek on July 3.
The Parrearra man told the court he’d been at the pub having “a couple of beers” and decided to wait a few hours before driving home because he didn’t want to leave his car that he pub.
He recorded a 0.05 blood alcohol reading.
Oakes was convicted, fined $300 and disqualified from driving for three months.
Anthony John Scholz Doblow pleaded guilty to driving over the middle drink driving limit but not over the higher level about 1am on June 17 on Yandina Coolum Road at Coolum.
The 49-year-old told police he’d been drinking before he got behind the wheel.
The Coolum man recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.133.
Doblow told the court he “had no excuses” for drink driving.
He was convicted, disqualified from driving for six months and fined $600.
John Mathew Derschow, 31, pleaded guilty to driving while under the influence of liquor and driving without ever holding a licence on Scholar Drive on April 8.
The court heard Derschow had been driving his friend’s car when he drove through a stop sign and hit a tree.
The Sippy Downs man later recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.170.
Derschow said he “never got around” to applying for a driver licence and usually used public transport but “that night made a stupid mistake”.
He was convicted, fined $500 and disqualified from driving for 10 months.
Anthony James Aragon Harrison, 21, pleaded guilty to driving over the general alcohol limit but not over the middle alcohol limit while on his provisional license in Coolum Beach on July 10.
The Coolum Beach resident said he “made a conscious decision” to drive despite having been drinking.
He recorded a .077 blood alcohol reading.
Harrison was convicted, fined $400 and disqualified from driving for three months.
Cayden Brian King pleaded guilty to driving with a drug present in his system on the Sunshine Motorway at Pacific Paradise on April 19.
The 38-year-old Mooloolaba man had smoked marijuana prior to driving, the court heard.
King was granted a work licence to allow him to continue operating his painting business.
He was convicted, fined $400 and disqualified from driving for two months.
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