Michael Leigh Cartan pleads guilty to mid-range drink driving at Toowoomba Magistrates Court

A Toowoomba real estate agent faced court for blowing two times the legal alcohol limit. More details inside:

A self-employed Toowoomba real estate agent has faced the penalties of the law for drink driving after he failed to learn his lesson almost two decades prior.

Michael Leigh Cartan, 51, pleaded guilty to one count of mid-range drink driving after he was intercepted by police behind the wheel on Curzon Street, the Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Alister Windsor told the court police conducted an RBT and transported Cartan to Toowoomba Police Station on September 30 shortly after 11pm, when he returned a reading of 0.113.

Cartan had a history of drink driving, with his last offence about 18 years ago, his solicitor Nathan Bouchier of Bouchier Khan Lawyers told the court.

Cartan had reportedly completed the Queensland Traffic Offenders Program “which has given him further insight in relation to alcohol use and drink driving and the impacts of that”.

“He is unlikely, in my submission, to repeat this conduct in the future,” Mr Bouchier said.

Mr Bouchier put forward a request for his client to gain a restricted licence, in order to continue his self-employment as a rural real estate agent, explaining that a loss of licence would result in “severe financial hardship”.

Magistrate Kay Philipson took into account Cartan’s early plea and completion of the state program when delivering her sentence.

“I am satisfied you’re a fit and proper person to hold a restricted licence … (and know) the refusal to grant such a license would cause you extreme hardship by depriving you of your means of earning a living,” she said.

Cartan was fined $500, which was referred to SPER, and received a disqualified licence of three months, with a restricted license granted for that time.

Cartan must maintain a log book and is only allowed to drive for work purposes between 5am and 7pm, Monday to Sunday.

No conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Michael Leigh Cartan pleads guilty to mid-range drink driving at Toowoomba Magistrates Court