Rodney Ian Long sentenced for Midnight Oil concert fiasco

A Midnight Oil concert was the stage for a Sunshine Coast man’s drunken fiasco which saw him wake up in a holding cell. Read what happened:

A Sunshine Coast man’s boozy night out at a Midnight Oil concert quickly soured when he woke up in a holding cell after a drunken fiasco.

Rodney Ian Long was fined $200 in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to causing a public nuisance at a Sunshine Coast Midnight Oil concert on April 9, 2022.

Long entered a written plea of guilty and did not appear in court.

Police prosecutor Mark Burrell told the court Long was swearing and pulling shadecloths off a fence in the grandstand area when police were called.

Senior Constable Burrell described the behaviour as being “destructive”.

Police arrested Long, who was belligerent, during the concert at 9.30pm.

Constable Burrell said 7000 people were in the audience at the event.

Magistrate Matthew McLaughlin agreed it would have been a “bad night” for the 55-year-old.

“So he missed the rest of the concert and woke up in the morning in the cell,” he said.

Long wrote to the court that he was too drunk and very embarrassed by his behaviour.

“Waking up in a holding cell was a sobering experience,” Mr McLaughlin read from the man’s notes.

Long, who described himself as being an active member of the community with a good family, apologised to police and said he was very ashamed.

Mr McLaughlin joked Midnight Oil was getting a bit “old in the tooth” saying he enjoyed their music while in university.

A conviction was not recorded.