Quayde Alexander Coleman fronts Noosa Magistrates Court for drink-driving

A 25-year-old Noosa Heads bartender and restaurant worker has blown 0.1 per cent on Hastings St after being sprung on his way to pick up a fishing rod for a morning cast.

A 25-year-old bartender told police he was picking up fishing rods when he was sprung drink-driving in Noosa Heads.

Quayde Alexander Coleman, of Noosa Heads, fronted the Noosa Magistrates Court on July 12, 2022.

He pleaded guilty to one count of mid-range drink-driving and having an unregistered vehicle.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Alison Johnstone said a mobile police patrol on June 14, 2022, at 2.25am spotted the defendant pull out of a car park on Hastings Street and officers then pulled the car over for a random breath test.

Sergeant Johnstone said the breath test was positive and police took the defendant to the station, where he gave a breath alcohol reading of 0.1 per cent.

She said the defendant told police he was going to get a fishing rod so he could go fishing in the morning and told them he had consumed a number of vodka and red bulls.

Sergeant Johnstone said police found the registration of the vehicle had expired on June 3, 2022.

Solicitor Bradford Hill told the court that Coleman worked as a bartender on weekends, which was what he was doing when the offence occurred, and at a local restaurant full-time.

The solicitor said the defendant did not realise the amount of alcohol he had consumed over the course of the night.

“He thought he was okay to drive and he wasn’t,” Mr Hill said.

The solicitor said there was no similar offending on the defendant’s traffic history and he had submitted an early plea of guilty.

Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist fined Coleman $600 for the two offences, which were one count of drive a motor vehicle whilst over the middle alcohol limit but not over the high alcohol limit and one count of vehicle on roads must be registered.

The defendant was also given a three-month driving disqualification.

A conviction was recorded.