Pauliasi Tekitau Ofahulu faces court for driving in Bowen with disqualified licence

A North Queensland mine worker has paid the price for putting the safety of drunk workmates ahead of a court order carrying a hefty penalty.

A Collinsville miner has been sentenced to two months’ jail as a result of his personal policy of always putting his mates first.

Pauliasi Tekitau Ofahulu, 35, knowingly ignored an eight-month licence disqualification to drive two colleagues home from an after-work drinking session at a private residence in Bowen on November 24.

The Tongan-born father of four pleaded guilty to driving without a licence disqualified by a court order, telling Bowen Magistrates Court his workmates had wanted to drive their own cars home that night, but he intervened as he knew they would be over the legal limit.

“We came off shift and the boys got on the p-ss – I knew the risk but I offered to take them home,” he said.

Pauliasi Tekitau Ofahulu pleaded guilty to driving without a licence disqualified by a court order. Picture: Facebook

He said it was common practice in Islander culture to put other people’s needs before one’s own, but added “I’ve got to remember I’m in Australia now.”

“I should’ve thought better but I always put my mates before me,” he said.

“Miners – the way they drink, they can go pretty wild.”

The court heard Ofahulu’s licence was disqualified on November 9, 2021, after he pleaded guilty to drink-driving.

Acting Magistrate Athol Kennedy described Ofahulu’s traffic history as “pretty ordinary” and asked him: “Do you like being disqualified?

Mr Kennedy imposed a two-month jail sentence suspended immediately for 24 months, and disqualified Ofahulu’s licence for two years, with a conviction recorded.

Ofahulu expected to keep his job as “the boys on [his] crew” would help him travel to the mine.