Sunshine Coast traffic court: Four drivers charged with driving under the influence

From a man who took sleeping tablets before getting behind the wheel to a mum who drank bottles of wine, these residents have recently been sprung driving under the influence.

Every week drivers under the influence face Sunshine Coast courts for their choice to get behind the wheel.

Here are four residents who pleaded guilty at Maroochydore Magistrates Court on June 20, 2022, after they were caught driving under the influence by police.

From a 33-year-old woman who caused $7000 damage to her car to a man who was caught reverse parking hours after police saw him drinking at pub, these are some of the Sunshine Coast’s recent offenders.

Convicted

Alesha Gabrielle Fisher-Love

A Buderim woman has been banned from driving for 10 months after she drove after drinking two bottles of wine at home before crashing her car.

Alesha Gabrielle Fisher-Love, 33, pleaded guilty at Maroochydore Magistrates Court on June 20, 2022, to driving under the influence.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Brendan Newman said police were called to a car crash at Nicklin Way and Production Ave, Warana, in the early hours of May 24, 2022.

Alesha Gabrielle Fisher-Love, 33, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on June 20. Picture: Social media

“They’ve observed the vehicle with significant front end damage,” he said.

“ (Fisher-Love) admitted to police that she’d consumed two bottles of wine between 5pm and midnight, she admitted to police that the reason for driving is that she wanted to get out of the house.”

Fisher-Love returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.199.

Her solicitor Lachlan Cramb said his client, who had recently gone through a break-up with her former long-term partner, had been dealing with mental health issues.

“On the night in question she was living by herself and the loneliness got a bit too much,” Mr Cramb said.

“She’s effectively gotten in the car to try to leave the situation.”

The court heard Fisher-Love caused about $7000 worth of damage to her car during the crash.

Mr Cramb said his client had since been travelling to her Caloundra-based job on an electric scooter.

He said the situation had been “wake up call” and it’s “amazing she’s still alive today”.

Fisher-Love was convicted, fined $1050 and disqualified from driving for 10 months.

Billy Jay Anderson

Billy Jay Anderson, 31, pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on June 20 to driving under the influence, driving without a licence and failing to provide a specimen of breath. Picture: Social media

A man who was caught driving hours after drinking with his family following a funeral has been sentenced for his error of judgment.

Billy Jay Anderson, 31, pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on June 20 to driving under the influence, driving without a licence and failing to provide a specimen of breath.

The court heard police had Anderson drinking in the Queenslander Hotel in Gympie with family late on April 29, where he had acted confrontational towards the officers.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Brendan Newman said that a few hours later police spotted Anderson behind the wheel on Mary St, Gympie.

“The defendant was attempting to reverse park the vehicle in front of the Australia Post in a slow but stable manner, he parked the vehicle, switched the driver as police approached,” Sergeant Newman said.

“Police observed the defendant to be heavily intoxicated, slurring his speech and slow to respond to questions.

“The vehicle did a burnout at the location and drove away from police before police were able to do a RBT.”

The court heard Anderson was later arrested and failed to give a specimen of breath when asked by police at the watch-house.

Magistrate Rod Madsen said Anderson had been dealing with “some heartache” caused by the death of his uncle.

“Clearly the decision for you to get into the car wasn’t a good decision,” he said.

Anderson was convicted, disqualified for 12 months and fined $1650 for the three charges.

Tegan Leigh Clark

Tegan Leigh Clark, 34, pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on June 20 to driving under the influence of liquor, being drunk in a public place and failing provide a specimen of breath for a test. Picture: Aisling Brennan

A Mountain Creek mother has lost her licence after neighbours raised concern about her drunken behaviour on their street.

Tegan Leigh Clark, 34, pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on June 20 to driving under the influence of liquor, being drunk in a public place and failing to provide a specimen of breath for a test.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Brendan Newman said police were called to a home in Mountain Creek with reports a woman had been drunkenly trying to assault her housemates.

Sergeant Newman said police found the woman a few houses down from her home “dishevelled” in a neighbour’s garden and appeared “glassy eyed and emotional” when questioned.

“The defendant initially started walking with police before she sat in the middle of the road and refused to assist police in anyway,” he said.

“She was arrested for being intoxicated in public place.

“Police were then approached by members of the public who were concerned about the defendant driving her vehicle while intoxicated and the safety of their children.”

The court heard Clark had been seen driving erratically about 2pm and parking her car briefly outside her home, with some people feeling worried about the children riding on the street.

“She had continued to deny that she had driven her vehicle but had admitted to police that she had gone to Brightwater Hotel and consumed two bottles of wine while seated in a vehicle,” Sergeant Newman said.

Clark said she had since lost her job in Yandina due to the loss of licence and had to put her university studies on hold as she continues to raise her three children.

She was convicted, fined $1250 and disqualified from driving for nine months.

Non convictions

Travis Wade Lambert

A Sunshine Coast man who decided to get behind the wheel after taking sleeping tablets has lost his licence for six months.

Travis Wade Lambert, 27, pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on June 20 to driving under the influence.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Brendan Newman said police had observed the Buderim man driving southbound on the Sunshine Mwy about 9.20pm on May 5 at about 60 to 70km/hr in a 100km/hr zone.

“The vehicle was further observed to be flustering in speed and going across lines and centre line,” Sergeant Newman said.

When police pulled Lambert over, the observed he had “glazed eyes, slurred speech and was not aware of his general location”.

The court heard Lambert told police that he took sleeping tablets before receiving a call from his father to collect him from Sunshine Coast Airport.

While he returned a negative blood alcohol roadside test, police brought him back to the watch-house.

“During transport to the watch-house, the defendant was observed to be falling asleep in the vehicle and while walking into the watch-house the defendant was observed to be very slow on his feet,” Sergeant Newman said.

“He provided a specimen of blood and later charged and released.”

Lambert’s solicitor Anna Smith said her client, who takes medication for a mental health condition, had taken the sleeping tablets to help him fall asleep before he received the call from his dad.

“His father who normally lives with him and helps with his medication was away,” Ms Smith said.

“The night of the offence, Mr Lambert couldn’t sleep.

“He acknowledges he took more sleeping tablets than he’s prescribed but then his father called him from the airport and he made the poor decision to pick him up from the airport and then while he was driving the tablets kicked in.

“When he was pulled over he was falling asleep but he did make admissions to taking excess.”

Lambert was fined $1050 and disqualified from driving for six months.

No conviction was recorded.