Warwick court: Drink or drug drivers busted across the Southern Downs

The latest round of Southern Downs drink or drug driving offenders have faced court for their booze or drug fuelled behaviour while driving.

From a Warwick learner driver busted driving on meth to an ‘out of character’ offender who was busted with cannabis in his system, here are the latest drink or drug driving offenders whose actions have landed them in front of Warwick Magistrates Court:

• A 19-year-old on a provisional licence was busted driving with meth in his system.

Paul Xavier Dendle was sprung on February 15 on Acacia Ave, and pleaded guilty to driving with a relevant drug in his system on May 3 in Warwick Magistrates Court.

The currently unemployed former contract cattleyard builder was originally told he’d given a negative drug test, but the court was told “about 20 minutes later” the result was positive.

However, Dendle did not challenge the test in court and continued with his guilty plea, accepting that there was methamphetamine in his saliva.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess told Dendle that if he was using drugs, he needed to be careful as he would “throw his driver’s licence away” by driving when there are drugs present.

Dendle was fined $250 and was suspended from driving for three months. Convictions were recorded.

• A 38-year-old worker from Myanmar claimed “he thought he was smoking cigarettes” before being busted driving with cannabis in his system.

Mohammad Rofik was intercepted on Warwick-Allora Rd on March 7, and tested positive for cannabis. He pleaded guilty to driving with drugs in his system in court on May 3.

Defence lawyer Phillip Crook said the former meatworker “doesn’t drink, but smokes cigarettes” and Rofik thought the cannabis was a cigarette when he smoked it with some backpackers in Stanthorpe.

Ms Sturgess called out Rofik and said “he doesn’t drink? He’s got a high level drink driving from 2019.”

Mohammad Rofik was intercepted on Warwick-Allora Road on March 7, and tested positive for cannabis.

“He’s looking at a long time off the road due to the mandatory minimum of the previous conviction,” she said.

“It is a very big mistake you have made.”

Rofik was disqualified from driving for nine months and was fined $400. Convictions were recorded.

• A 22-year-old learner driver told the court he was “surprised” after being found driving with meth in his system.

Robert Gordon William Betts-Coghlan pleaded guilty on May 8 to driving with a relevant drug in his system.

He was caught on March 12 on Cleary St, Warwick, and returned a positive test indicating he had methamphetamine in his saliva.

Betts-Coghlan, who has only ever held a learner licence, told the court he had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and was “surprised” at the result of the drug test.

Robert Gordon William Betts-Coghlan pleaded guilty to driving with meth in his system

“It doesn’t matter how the methamphetamine gets in your system, it’s in your system,” Ms Sturgess told the man.

“The first part is you only have a learner licence, so you don’t have an unrestricted ability to drive, secondly, if you’re taking drugs, they’re going to be present in your saliva when you drive, you’ll be throwing away your ability to retain a drivers licence just by having drugs on-board.”

Betts-Coghlan was fined $450 and disqualified from driving for three months.

Convictions were recorded.

• A magistrate did not hold back when it came to Murphy Lee Brown after he was nabbed by police on the Cunningham Highway at Inglewood.

The 45-year-old appeared in Warwick Magistrates Court on January 13 where he pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of liquor.

Brown returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.167 just before 1pm on November 19.

The father-of-four said he had “a big night before” and that there was “no excuse” for his actions.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess said she was “surprised” by the large reading and that it would be “difficult to have such a high reading and not feel the effects of it”.

“You would have felt some ill effects of it unless you’re a very high functioning alcoholic, I hope you’re not driving your children around with that much alcohol on board,” she said.

“I’m concerned about your history, you have four previous drink driving charges, albeit in a 20 year period, but these are high range offences.”

Brown was fined $1000 and suspended from driving for six months, with convictions recorded.

• A truck driver who was busted driving home from a boozy dinner out has ended up in front of the magistrate.

Shane Dennis McKniff faced court on Monday and plead guilty to driving over the general alcohol limit after blowing 0.072 BAC.

The 51-year-old was pulled over on the evening January 7 on Helene St, Warwick, following dinner with his wife.

Defence lawyer Clare Hine told the court McKniff drank as he had not planned to drive home, however, his wife became unwell and he ended up driving home.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess told McKniff he “couldn’t afford to make these sorts of errors” as his work was based on holding a licence.

“You will lose your job if I don’t grant your application today,” Ms Sturgess said.

McKniff was fined $400, received a two month suspension from driving and was granted a temporary work licence so he could continue his job.

Convictions were recorded.

• A truck driver’s wild night in Roma caused him to blow over on the way to get breakfast and landed him in Warwick Magistrates Court.

Rick Jason Jarvis pleaded guilty to driving over the general alcohol limit but not the middle limit on January 27.

The court was told the 48-year-old had his last drink at 11pm the night before, and was pulled over just before 9am the next day, blowing 0.095 BAC.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess told Jarvis, “it must have been a big night if you were showing a reading of 0.95 the next day”.

The Emu Vale local received a two month suspension from driving and a $500 fine, with convictions recorded.

• One man’s New Year’s Eve antics left him in without a licence and a job.

Sharn Edward Mcsweeney was pulled over on Tooth St, Warwick at 10.55pm on December 31.

The 22-year-old P-plater blew a reading of 0.121 BAC and appeared in front of the magistrate on January 27, and pleaded guilty to drink driving over the middle alcohol limit while on a probationary licence.

He was quick to tell the magistrate he was “young, dumb and stupid” and that he had “wished I never done it”.

Mcsweeney told the magistrate he had lost his job as a farmhand as a result of the fiasco.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess told him he “had clearly had more than one drink” and that “he would have been well aware he was on a zero alcohol limit” as he was a P-plater.

Mcsweeney was fined $650 and received a four month suspension from driving.

Convictions were recorded.

No conviction recorded

• A father-of-three busted with cannabis in his system used the drug as “alternative” medicine, the court was told.

Jaye Farrawell faced Warwick Magistrates Court on May 3, pleading guilty to one charge of driving while drugs were present in his system.

Farrawell was nabbed driving on Grafton St, on the evening of March 3, and returned a positive test which found cannabis in his system.

The court heard how Farrawell suffered two workplace injuries which resulted in the man using cannabis as “an alternative pain relief”.

Ms Sturgess was lenient on the man due to the man “not being a normal user of cannabis” and noted the offending was “out of character”.

“However, regardless of its use, it's an extremely easy offence to commit, and it is irrelevant whether the drug was lawfully prescribed or not,” she told Farrawell.

“Make a choice: use the cannabis medicinally or keep a driver’s licence. You can’t survive without a car when it isn’t fair there’s no access to public transport to get to work.”

Farrawell received a one month suspension from driving with no conviction recorded.

• A Gatton council worker’s RSL memorial proved to be a costly affair after police found him behind the wheel while twice over the legal alcohol limit.

Anthony Peter Small was busted on the morning of January 21 on Pratten St, Warwick.

Anthony Peter Small leaving Warwick Magistrates Court on February 13

The father of two was caught after being seen by police driving in an “unusual manner” before blowing a reading of 0.118.

Small’s lawyer told the Warwick Magistrates Court on February 13 the man was at a function at the RSL the night before with his cricket team to remember a friend who had passed away.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess told the man “he should have been aware” as he was “significantly over the legal limit”.

“The consequences are going to be significant for you,” she said.

Small pleaded guilty to driving over the middle alcohol limit. He received a $500 fine and was suspended from driving for three months, with no convictions recorded.

• Nicole Michelle Drennert was busted on Affinity Drive, Rosenthal Heights, on the morning of December 8.

The 25-year-old pleaded guilty to driving while a relevant drug was present while being on P plates.

A roadside test revealed cannabis in Drennert’s system.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess warned Drennert that “the drug can stay in your system longer than you would think”.

“Hopefully you have learnt a lesson from this and won’t make this mistake again,” she said.

Drennert was convicted and not further punished and received a three month driving suspension. No conviction was recorded.

• An 18-year-old’s New Year’s Eve joy ride landed him in front of the magistrate.

On the evening of December 31, Robert Lewis Pugh intercepted by police riding a motorbike on Wood St, Warwick.

Pugh pleaded guilty to driving the vehicle without a licence (never held) and while a relevant drug was present in his saliva.

Following complaints from residents, police discovered the man riding an unregistered mini bike while cannabis was in his system.

Police prosecutor Steve de Lissa told the court Pugh admitted he had never held a driver’s licence.

Pugh told the magistrate there was “no excuse really” for his actions and said “it’s all on me”.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess told Pugh that if it’s got a motor in it, it’s a motor vehicle, and he needed a licence.

“You certainly can’t drive it with drugs in your system,” she said, “It’s not the crime of the century, but it will have consequences.”

Pugh received a six-month suspension from driving and a $150 fine, with no convictions recorded.

• A Clifton man nabbed almost two times over the limit following a night out has faced court.

Matthew Thomas Wiedman was pulled over on Tooth St, Clifton just before midnight on December 23.

He pleaded guilty to the charge of driving while over the middle alcohol limit on Monday.

Following a roadside breath test, the 29-year-old oil rig manager produced a reading of 0.130 BAC.

Matthew Thomas Wiedman faced Warwick Magistrates Court following a drunken night out in December

The court was told Wiedman consumed six or seven beers over the evening before making the “horrible decision to drive home”.

“His home is exactly 2.2km away, he knows that is because he has walked home before when drinking at this particular pub,” Weidman’s lawyer said.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess said Wiedman should have been “well aware” he shouldn’t have driven, and he easily could have walked home instead of driving.

“It’s an extremely poor decision you’re going to live to regret, but fortunately, you won’t lose your job as a result of losing your licence,” Ms Sturgess said.

Weidman received a three month suspension from driving and a $600 fine.

No conviction was recorded.