Andrew James Beck pleads with magistrate not to suspend his licence after driving with methamphetamine in his system

A Bowen man asked a magistrate to go easy on him for smoking ice at a party for the ‘first time’. Instead he got a jail sentence.

A magistrate told the Bowen man if he was serious about cleaning up his act, he would not have said yes when a pipe was being passed around. Picture: File

A Bowen magistrate refused to back down on a hefty sentence for a repeat drug offender despite the man’s attempts to argue he had rehabilitated himself.

Andrew James Beck told Bowen Magistrates Court he had “gone to great lengths” to curb his drug use after previous convictions for offences including producing and possessing dangerous drugs, and that a May 2021 drug-driving offence was the result of a “one-off opportunity” he “greatly regrets”.

The court heard police intercepted Beck’s LandCruiser on Soldiers Rd, Bowen about 6pm on Thursday, May 20 after the 50 year old had smoked ice at a party some days prior.

Pleading guilty to one charge of driving while a relevant drug is present in blood or saliva while the holder of a probationary MR licence, Beck told the court: “It’s the first time I’ve taken it (methamphetamine) and I’ve been stung for it.”

Magistrate James Morton noted the latest charge was Beck’s third drug-driving offence since 2018, and that he was already on a two-month suspended jail sentence.

Beck said all of his “issues in the past” related to marijuana, which he had since “completely stopped” using.

He said he could lose his house if his job as a groundskeeper at Whitsunday Paradise estate was impacted by another drug-driving conviction.

“I’m well aware of the errors of my ways, I mean that with all my heart,” he said.

“I’ve completely given up marijuana, I’ve got full-time employment.

“I’ve made every effort, I’m actually proud of my efforts.”

Mr Morton activated the suspended sentence, imposed another two months’ jail time, and disqualified Beck’s driving licence for six months.

“’Every effort’ would have been, when the pipe gets handed to you, you say ‘No, I don’t want that’, especially at your age,” he said.

“You put the pipe in your mouth and smoked it. That’s a decision you made.”

Beck was given immediate parole for the four months’ total jail sentence.

A conviction was recorded.