Truck driver Toby Bussell pleads guilty to being in charge of a vehicle while drunk

A Sunshine Coast man has said he was only trying to charge his phone when he was found parked in the middle of the road at Noosa while more than three times the limit.

Toby Alexander Bussell faced Noosa Magistrates Court on Tuesday. Picture: Facebook

A mulleted road construction worker has told a court he was only trying to charge his phone when he was found drunk behind the wheel of his parked car at Noosa.

Police made the bizarre discovery at the intersection of Noosa Pde and Dolphin Cres at Noosaville in the early hours of April 25 where they found Toby Alexander Bussell parked in the middle of the northbound lane.

Noosa Magistrates Court heard the 23-year-old was sitting in the driver’s seat of the parked vehicle which had its tail lights on.

Police prosecutor David Hoffmann told the court on Tuesday that when officers spoke to the Yandina man, he had dilated pupils.

Senior Constable Hoffman said when Bussell was breath-tested he returned a blood-alcohol content of 0.156 per cent.

Bussell pleaded guilty to being in charge of a vehicle while under the influence.

He said only wanted to charge his phone.

“What happened,” magistrate Chris Callaghan asked Bussell.

“I was trying to see if I could charge my phone,” Bussell replied

“In the middle of the road,” Mr Callaghan said.

Bussell told Mr Callaghan he wasn’t planning on parking there but just wanted to get home, but the magistrate said he wasn’t just charging his phone.

“Who charges their phone in the middle of the road, can’t you pull over to the side,” Mr Callaghan said.

The court heard Bussell worked in road construction where he drove trucks and may lose his job.

Bussell pleaded guilty to being in charge of a vehicle while under the influence and was disqualified from driving for nine months.

He was fined $900. No conviction was recorded.