Dyllan Cabrera Jantzen, Mark Sean Thompson, Amy Melissa Dobinson, Helen Maree Wilson face court
Four drunk or drugged up Whitsunday drivers have faced the consequences for getting behind the wheel, hurting themselves and risking others.
Police & Courts
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From moving a car after a few too many at the pub, to golf buggy joy rides, these Whitsunday drink and drug drivers made the wrong decision to get behind the wheel.
Helen Maree Wilson
52-year-old Helen Maree Wilson was charged with driving under the influence of liquor and failure to have proper control of a vehicle after she crashed her car on the Bruce Highway.
On 22 November police received reports of a person driving erratically, swerving across the road on the Bruce Highway in Yalboroo, concerned for an accident while the roads were wet.
At around 9.40pm on that same day police attended the scene of a crash where Ms Wilson’s car collided with a guard rail.
Ms Wilson was transported to Proserpine Hospital with two broken ribs, a broken toe, and significant bruising. While in the hospital she recorded a blood alcohol reading of 0.195.
Cleo Rewald of Richards Rewald Lawyers, appeared as duty solicitor for Ms Wilson, telling the court that Ms Wilson had no memory of the accident.
“She certainly wouldn’t be in any position to make any sort of decent decisions at the time,” she said.
She added it was unusual for someone with no history to be appearing before the court at Ms Wilson’s age but added that these were serious charges.
“She is extremely lucky and it is pure good luck that she didn’t hurt someone else,” said Ms Rewald.
Ms Wilson pleaded guilty to the charges, receiving a $1200 fine and an 11 month disqualification.
Convictions were recorded.
Dyllan Cabrera Jantzen
Dyllan Cabrera Jantzen was caught driving a golf buggy on Shute Harbor Road, Jubilee Pocket, while over the middle alcohol limit, but he says he never intended to be on the road.
The 34 year old was pulled over by police at around 12.30am on 8 February and recorded a breath alcohol reading of 0.132 grams of alcohol in 210 litres of breath.
He told police he had consumed five alcoholic beverages before getting behind the wheel.
Mr Jantzen appeared self represented in the Proserpine Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty.
He told the court he had pulled to the side of the road to allow people to pass and was planning on moving the buggy to the sidewalk to drive the rest of the way home.
“I am profoundly sorry for the potential risk I could have caused myself and other road users at the time,” he said.
Magistrate Anna Smith took into account Mr Jantzen’s exceptional traffic and criminal history, noting that this was extremely out of character but said the situation could have been a lot worse.
“You’re more likely to have done yourself some damage than to another car but if you had followed through and ended up on the footpath, any person could have been in strife,” she said.
Mr Jantzen was fined $650 and disqualified from holding a licence for three months.
No traffic convictions were recorded.
Mark Sean Thompson
Thompson, 56, got himself in trouble when he made the mistake of drinking then moving his car at Nebo Hotel.
On 2 January police were contacted by staff at Nebo Hotel about a man sitting in the driver’s seat of a car in their carpark.
When police arrived they saw Mr Thompson stop the car and get out before ducking behind a shipping container in the carpark.
Mr Thompson recorded a breath analysis reading of 0.169.
The self-employed engineer pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of liquor in the Proserpine Magistrates Court who heard he had a lengthy traffic history.
He told the court he would take full responsibility for his actions and on this occasion he had no intention to drive, he was simply moving his car to a quiet corner of the carpark while he waited for his daughter to pick him up from the Hotel.
Mr Thompson was fined $1050 and was disqualified for seven months.
A traffic conviction was recorded.
Amy Melissa Dobinson
Amy Melissa Dobinson appeared in the Bowen Magistrates Court charged with drug driving on the Bruce Highway in Bowen.
On 10 October Ms Dobson was pulled over for a licence check and was detained for drug testing which returned a positive reading for methylamphetamine and delta nine tetrahydrocannabinol.
The 32-year-old mother of three pleaded guilty to the charge.
Ms Dobson was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for one month.
Traffic convictions were recorded.
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