Troy Daniel Murray faces Warwick court over ‘dangerous’ move to evade drug test

The man fought against the random test before trying to speed off down a main road while cops were opening his door. He was just one of the people sentenced in the Warwick court recently.

IN COURT: From a man who threatened police during his daughter’s arrest to another who tried to speed away from a drug test, these were the people sentenced in the Warwick court recently. Picture: file

A man who blamed claimed confusion over Covid restrictions for his dangerous attempt to evade a roadside drug test was just one of the people sentenced in Warwick Magistrates Court recently.

Troy Daniel Murray was pulled over by police in front of the Warwick United service station on June 27, where he refused to give a specimen of his saliva for a drug test.

Police prosecutor Barry Stevens said the 34-year-old was repeatedly warned it was an offence to not comply, but he continued to argue.

“Police then began to open the driver’s door, (Murray)’s accelerated away from police and driven about 30m down the road … a very risky and dangerous manoeuvre in my opinion, Your Honour,” Sergeant Stevens said.

The man continued to struggle with police before being handcuffed and taken to the watch house, where he finally took a drug test and returned a negative result.

Defence lawyer Phillip Crook said Murray spent most of his time on the Gold Coast where different lockdown restrictions were in place, so became “confused and flustered” as to whether they applied here when questioned by police.

Mr Crook added that his client was driving a rare 1998 Holden at the time, and only drove away from police to move his car out of the petrol station’s driveway.

Murray pleaded guilty to one count each of obstructing police and failing to give a saliva specimen.

He was fined $550 and no conviction was recorded.

These were the other people sentenced in the Warwick court:

Jonathan Stanley Bryan earned a date with the magistrate after interfering in a police arrest.

Police were called to a disturbance at a Pratten Street home, where they found Bryan’s daughter who was wanted on an arrest warrant and took her into custody.

The Warwick Magistrates Court was told the arrest sent the 50-year-old into a rage, with Bryan standing in front of police in an aggressive stance with clenched fists while saying, “You’ll have to go through me if you want her”.

Bryan eventually stood aside and let officers leave, but not before being charged over his irate conduct.

Defence lawyer Phillip Crook said the man’s offending was driven by “misguided protectionism”, and Bryan was now focused on finding employment.

Bryan pleaded guilty to one count of obstructing police and was fined $350.

A truck driver has walked away from court with a hefty fine after failing to manage his driving hours and rest breaks correctly.

Trevor Alexander Wilson was stopped by police at Goondiwindi and asked to produce his logbook, which revealed he’d worked 16 out of 24 hours.

Police prosecutor Barry Stevens said this was two hours over the legal 14-hour limit, which made the 43-year-old’s slip-up a “critical risk offence”.

The Warwick court heard the truck driver had also failed to rest for the required seven hours within that same period, instead stopping for only five-and-a-half.

Defence lawyer David Fitzgerald said Wilson had driven heavy vehicles for his entire adult life and was usually compliant with regulations, but found mathematics “a bit of a challenge” and simply made a mistake.

Wilson pleaded guilty to two counts of operating under Basic Fatigue Management hours and was fined $1800.