Whitsunday drink-drivers sentenced at Proserpine Magistrates Court
A Whitsunday court handed out some hefty sentences for high-range drink-drivers this week. See the full list.
Police & Courts
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Here is your round up of drink-drivers sentenced at Proserpine Magistrates Court this week.
1. Letitia Cora Taylor-Smith
Police busted the boat detailer with a 0.216 blood alcohol concentration after she hit a kerb and popped a tyre.
The 24 year old had been driving home to Cannonvale from Magnums bar on August 15 and had to phone RACQ for help.
The court heard Taylor-Smith had vomit on her body when police found her asleep behind the wheel of her stationary Mazda on Tropic Rd, with the keys in the ignition and the engine running about 11.40pm.
She told officers to “f —k off” before admitting she had “definitely drank too much” that night.
Defence lawyer Ali Ladd told the court an out-of-the-blue phone call from Taylor-Smith’s estranged father the day before the offence had “sent her into a bit of a spiral” and caused her to “misuse” alcohol.
When Taylor-Smith tried to apologise for her actions, Magistrate James Morton told her: “Don’t be sorry to me, be sorry to the person you might’ve killed.”
“You shouldn’t have been anywhere near a car … because your reaction time is so slow,” Mr Morton said.
“Make sure this is a wake up call to you.”
She was fined $1500 fine and handed a 14-month licence disqualification, with a conviction recorded.
2. Stuart Alan Crosbie
The 43-year-old concreter received a $1200 fine and 10-month licence disqualification after crashing his new ute on Conway Rd while under the influence.
The court heard Crosbie had a 0.188 BAC after the September 26 crash at Preston, which occurred about 6.30am.
He escaped the crash without injury but his four-week old Ford Ranger suffered extensive damage after running off the road and rolling onto its roof.
The court heard Crosbie left the crash scene after ambulance officers assessed him, but before police arrived.
When police caught up with him later, he was “evasive”, would not provide details and refused a breath test demanding a blood test instead, the court heard.
Crosbie told the court he had drunk heavy Great Northern beers at a friends’ 40th celebrations the previous night, had slept at the party location, then set off for home in the morning.
He unsuccessfully tried to avoid hitting a culvert before the car rolled.
A conviction was recorded.
3. Jayden Lee Webster
Police nabbed the apprentice electrician on his way home from an August 29 rodeo where a combination of beer, Jack Daniels and Vodka Cruisers pushed his BAC to 0.144.
The court heard Webster used a friend’s breath test kit to check his level of intoxication at the Bloomsbury event and chose to drive despite a result indicating he was over the general alcohol limit.
He came to police attention driving over the speed limit on Shute Harbour Rd, Airlie Beach about 1.50am.
He told the court his girlfriend had broken up with him that night.
Webster was fined $800 and handed a seven-month licence disqualification, with a conviction recorded.
4. Daniel Leigh Hamilton
The Airlie Ink tattoo artist blew 0.090 BAC when police caught up with him on Hermitage Drive, Airlie Beach about 3am on September 27.
The court heard Hamilton downed eight stubbies of full-strength beer between 5pm and 11pm, then slept in his car for a couple of hours in an attempt to sober up.
“I thought I was refreshed, but I clearly wasn’t,” he said.
The sentence was a $500 fine and two-month licence disqualification, with a conviction recorded.
5. Desmond John O‘Neill
Police caught the 55-year-old communications contractor on Galbraith Park Rd at Cannonvale on his way to buy his teenage son some takeaway food with a 0.089 BAC.
He told the court it was a “very poor choice” to get behind the wheel about 8.30pm on October 4, after four vodka lime sodas.
He said his 19-year-old son could not drive to get his own food as he was yet to obtain a driver’s licence.
The sentence was a $450 and a two-month licence disqualification, with a conviction recorded.
6. Merrick James Cranmer
The 20-year-old bottle shop worker pleaded guilty to driving on Park Rd, Cannonvale with a 0.072 BAC on August 22.
The court heard Cranmer was driving to a cafe for breakfast after drinking “at least” eight vodka Red Bulls, plus beers and cocktails the previous night.
The sentence was a $350 fine and two-month licence disqualification, with a conviction recorded.
Magistrate James Morton also told Cranmer his newly acquired motorbike licence would be of no use to him while disqualified.
7. Troy Jack Owen Yourell
Magistrate James Morton told Yourell he could have avoided going to court if he had “done some star jumps on the side of the road” before driving on the Bruce Highway at Proserpine on September 14.
The court heard Yourell blew 0.050 in a breath test about 6.20pm, after he had drunk four cans of heavy beer.
The train driver told the court he was in the process of moving from Bowen to Moranbah at the time and would now have to rely on his wife to get around.
The sentence was a $350 fine and one-month licence disqualification, with a conviction recorded.
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