NAMED: Drink and drug drivers sentenced in Bowen this week

A bloke who used weed to help him sleep and a woman picking her partner up from work were among those busted.

Here are the people who fronted Bowen Magistrates Court for drink or drug-driving this week. Photo: File

Four people were sentenced for drink or drug driving at Bowen Magistrates Court this week.

Here are the penalties the magistrate handed down:

Anthony Carlo Ponturo

A Jubilee Pocket man narrowly avoided spending time behind bars after he was caught drug-driving for the third time in five years.

Police pulled over Anthony Carlo Ponturo on Argyle Park Rd in Bowen in November and was found to have methylamphetamine in his saliva.

Police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Sean Franklin told Bowen Magistrates Court on Tuesday Ponturo, 38, had two previous convictions in the past five years for the same offence.

Sen-Sergeant Franklin said Ponturo's history demonstrated he had an issue with using dangerous drugs.

 

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Representing himself after pleading guilty to one count of drug-driving on a learner, probationary or provisional licence, Ponturo told the court he had secured a new roofing job in Rockhampton and had not touched meth since December.

Magistrate James Morton warned Ponturo he was considering sending him to jail.

Mr Morton said a fine would send the wrong message given his history and probation was more suited to younger offenders.

"It's never a good thing to send someone to jail, especially not a mature age man who's trying to struggle and get by in life," Mr Morton said.

"You go to jail, you're in there with the rapists, murderers and the paedophiles."

Ponturo was sentenced to one-month jail but the whole term will be suspended for a year.

He was also disqualified from driving for five months.

Here are the drivers who were sentenced for drink and drug-driving this week. Picture: File

Cindy Raba Marama

A Bowen woman will be off the roads for more than two years after being caught driving over the alcohol limit and with a disqualified licence.

Cindy Raba Marama fronted Bowen Magistrates Court and pleaded guilty to one count each of drink driving and disqualified driving.

The 36-year-old was pulled over on the Bruce Highway at Bowen in December and police saw open liquor containers in the car.

She returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.104.

Lawyer Peta Vernon said Marama was unemployed and her partner had been pestering her to pick him up from work and eventually gave in, which is why she was behind the wheel.

But Ms Vernon told the court her partner was the one who called the police about her drink driving.

Marama was fined a total of $1800 and disqualified from driving for two years and nine months. Convictions were recorded.

A Jubilee Pocket man was caught drug driving for the third time in five years. Photo: File

Leigh Lawrence George McArdle

A new father picked up for drug-driving says he used marijuana because he was having trouble sleeping after welcoming his son into the world.

Leigh Lawrence George McArdle, 23, pleaded guilty at Bowen Magistrates Court to one count of drug-driving.

Police pulled over the Bowen man on Leichhardt St in November and found to have marijuana in his saliva.

McArdle told the court he and his partner had a baby a few weeks ago and had trouble sleeping.

Magistrate James Morton told McArdle turning to illicit drugs was not the answer.

McArdle was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for one month with a conviction recorded.

 

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Steven Sean Beasley

A Bowen man held a provisional licence when he was caught drink-driving in December.

Police tested Steven Sean Beasley on Soldiers Rd in December and had a blood alcohol reading of 0.078.

Police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Sean Franklin told the court Beasley admitted to police he had drunk six or seven Smirnoff double black cans.

Beasley, 19, pleaded guilty to one count of drink-driving and told the court he worked at Richmond on the railway as a labourer but was back in Bowen for the holidays.

He was fined $450 and disqualified from driving for three months with a conviction recorded.

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