NAMED: Southern Downs drink or drug drivers who have faced the magistrate
From a boilermaker who was busted a day after drinking 20 drinks at a wedding, to an apprentice who had a ‘misjudgment’ before hitting the road, these are the latest drivers who ended up in Warwick courts for drink or drug driving offences.
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From a boilermaker who was busted the day after drinking 20 drinks at a wedding, to an apprentice who had a “misjudgment” before hitting the road, these are the latest drivers who ended up in Warwick courts.
CONVICTION RECORDED
• For Joshua Robert McCosker, his bad traffic record meant his licence suspension will be a long one.
The man was busted on Rosehill Rd on the morning of September 25, finding police who instructed him to complete a breath and drug test.
Police quickly found traces of meth and cannabis in his saliva, which landed McCosker in court on December 4, where he pleaded guilty to one charge of driving while a relevant drug was present in his saliva.
Magistrate Virginia Sturgess told the man if he needed his licence, he couldn’t afford to do stupid things to throw it away.
“With three convictions in the last five years, it means a six-month suspension starting point,” Ms Sturgess said.
McCosker was banned from driving for six months, and slapped with a $500 fine.
• A roofer busted at Warwick with drugs in his system landed in front of the magistrate earlier this month.
Paul Jeffery Robert Cooper pleaded guilty on December 4 in Warwick Magistrates Court to one charge of drug driving while not having a licence.
Cooper, a roofer in the Rose City, was busted on the afternoon of August 16 on Percy St.
He was found to have cannabis in his system, and failed to produce a licence when asked by police.
For the driving unlicensed he was convicted and not further punished, and suspended from driving for three months.
NO CONVICTION RECORDED
• A boilermaker had “20 drinks” the night before at a wedding in Stanthorpe, then blew over the limit the next day, a court has been told.
Grant Lee Champion, originally from Longreach, was busted on November 19, on Wallace St and pleaded guilty on December 4 to driving over the general limit but not the middle alcohol limit.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Steve de Lissa told the court Champion was stopped by police about 8.45am in the morning, and blew a reading of 0.071 BAC.
Champion’s defence lawyer, Joshua Boorman said the 26-year-old attended a wedding in the Granite Belt the day before, where he consumed “20 drinks in an eight hour period.”
“It was a careless mistake and not intentionally flaunting the law or putting the community at risk,” Mr Boorman said.
The sole director of a welding and fabrication company was said to be “co-operative” with police at the scene.
Magistrate Virginia Sturgess was sympathetic to the man, saying the offending was “unfortunate”.
“You had a big day at a family wedding, sadly people are unaware how long it takes for people to get alcohol out of their system,” she told the man.
Champion’s licence was suspended for three months and he was fined $400.
No convictions were recorded.
• One young driver was busted on a morning commute, where she quickly would find herself blowing over the legal limit.
Emma Lorraine Taupaki-Imms was nabbed by police at 10am on November 4 on Wood St, where she blew a reading of 0.071 BAC at an RBT stop.
The woman pleaded guilty on December 4 in Warwick Magistrates Court to one charge of driving over the general limit but not the middle alcohol limit.
Magistrate Virginia Sturgess said the woman had “limited history with no previous offences.”
She was taken off the roads for one month, and received a $200 fine.
• An apprentice nabbed by police at Allora said his offending was a “misjudgment on his behalf”.
At Warwick Magistrates Court on December 4 Fletcher Mark Blacket pleaded guilty to one charge of driving over the general limit but not the middle alcohol limit.
The court was told the junior mechanic was busted on November 11 on Allora-Clifton Rd, at Allora, where he was pulled over and blew a reading of 0.054 BAC.
Police prosecutor Steve de Lissa said the man had a “very minor history with only one entry”.
Defence lawyer Sarah Campbell told the court the offending came after the 20-year-old had three beers in the afternoon before having dinner, and wasn’t “intentionally drink driving”.
“He tried to take steps but unfortunately was over the limit by 0.004 BAC, and is very remorseful and learnt the takeaway from this is to be more careful,” Ms Campbell said.
The magistrate agreed, saying that he was over, but not by a lot.
“You were over, but not by a large amount so it sounds like you definitely did misjudge,” Ms Sturgess said.
“Clearly you are not ordinarily falling foul of traffic laws.”
Blacket was fined $300 and taken off the roads for one month.
No conviction was recorded.
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