Lucas Maurice Darr faces Toowoomba Magistrates Court for high range drink driving

A founder of two charities who volunteered during flood and bushfire was spotted driving on the wrong side of the road while four times over the limit.

A drink driver who blew more than four times the limit after a witness saw him on the wrong side of the road without headlights on has been spared a conviction.

Police conducting mobile patrols on Ruthven Street at Harlaxton were flagged down by a motorist about 10.30pm on October 28 this year, Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told.

The witness reported seeing a white ute driving on the wrong side of the road without any headlights on, police prosecutor Bettina Trenear said.

After a short search, Lucas Maurice Darr was found trying to park the vehicle at a service station and he was stopped.

A roadside breath test returned a positive reading, and the 39-year-old later blew 0.220, more than four times the legal limit.

In court on Tuesday, Darr pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of liquor.

Ms Trenear said Darr told police he had about seven beers at the Royal Hotel, but due to his intoxication he was unable to provide any further information and he was detained overnight at Toowoomba Watch-house.

Lucas Maurice Darr, 39, pleaded guilty to high range drink driving in Toowoomba Magistrates Court.

Darr’s solicitor Clancy Robba said his client had been invited to an engagement party but the night had “got away from him”.

“He obviously made the incredibly silly decision to get in the car and drive home, and the next thing he remembers was waking up in the watch-house the next morning,” Mr Robba said.

“He is heavily involved in the community, he volunteered during the 2011 floods in Toowoomba and at Ravensbourne during the 2019 bushfires, (and was a) founding member of two charities, one dealing with stroke recovery and another helping kids with cancer."

Mr Robba said his client would be a father for the first time in March next year.

In submitting for a conviction not to be recorded against his client Mr Robba said his partner was Canadian, and her mother was blind which would make it difficult for her to travel to Australia to visit the newborn.

Magistrate Kay Ryan said Darr’s offence wasn’t at the lower end of the scale.

“Certainly it is a very high reading, not the highest I’ve had but still very serious,” she said.

“You’re obviously very remorseful.”

Darr was fined $1800 and disqualified from driving for 10 months. No conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Lucas Maurice Darr faces Toowoomba Magistrates Court for high range drink driving