The southeast Queensland drink drivers of 2022 revealed
A high school principal, a cop and a council mayor were among the people of influence in southeast Queensland caught for DUI on our roads in 2022. SEE THE LIST
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A high school principal, a cop, a council mayor and a school bus driver were some of the several southeast Queenslanders caught drink driving on our roads in 2022.
More than 26,000 Queenslanders committed drink driving offences this year, according to Queensland Police crime statistics.
The rate of drivers caught with roadside tests in 2022 was almost one in 50 and last year 64 people died on the road as a result of alcohol.
A Gold Coast magistrate jailed a woman for six months on July 18, after she committed her sixth drink driving offence with a sky-high blood alcohol reading of 0.33 per cent.
“You have to get the message that drink-driving is not on,” said Magistrate John Costanzo to defendant Lisa Sherlock.
“You are seriously putting your own life and the lives of many other people at risk.”
Here we look at 19 southeast Queensland drivers who landed in court after being over the limit.
NO CONVICTION RECORDED
RHIANNON JADE MORRIS
After celebrating the end of a gym challenge, which involved abstaining from alcohol, a fitspo-Instagrammer was charged with drink driving while at the scene of a car crash north of Brisbane.
Rhiannon Jade Morris, 25, of Bray Park, was drink driving to see a gym friend around 10.30pm on April 9, when she was involved in a two car crash at Strathpine, she returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.190 per cent.
Morris pleaded guilty to the charge at Pine Rivers Magistrates Court on August 31, was fined $700 and her license was disqualified for six months.
SAMANTHA BERRY
A bayside job recruitment officer faced court after a boozy day at Melbourne Cup celebrations ended in her driving home on the rims of her wheels while four times the legal limit.
Thornlands resident, Samantha Berry, 23, pleaded guilty in Cleveland Magistrates Court November 21, to driving while under the influence of liquor.
She was four times over the legal blood alcohol level limit, with a reading of 0.205 per cent and was ordered to do 50 hours community service.
Her license was also disqualified for six months.
MARK RICHARD SOUTHEY
Bayside retail manager Mark Richard Southey, 43, pleaded guilty in Cleveland Magistrates Court on December 13, to one count of driving a motor vehicle while over the middle alcohol limit.
The court heard Southey was intercepted by police while driving in Capalaba on November 21 and told police he had alcohol prior to driving.
He returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.126 per cent and was fined $1200.
SIOBHAN DOWNEY
A Bundaberg medical professional has pleaded guilty to one charge of drink driving after glasses of wine and cocktails “poured with a bit of a heavy hand” nearly led to a car crash.
Bundaberg Magistrates Court heard that on June 18, 2022, Siobhan Downey was seen driving unusually along Hummock Rd, Qunaba at 9.20pm.
Police said when they pulled her over she was unsteady on her feet, falling over, had bloodshot eyes and was belligerent to police, with a blood alcohol reading of 0.270 per cent.
Downey was fined $1300 and disqualified from driving for nine months.
URSULA ANNE ROMYN
A married mother-of-two has lost her licence for the best part of two years after police caught her driving from a Central Queensland hotel car park with a sky-high blood alcohol reading of 0.380 per cent.
Ursula Anne Romyn 44, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on May 5 to drink-driving and failing to provide a specimen of breath for analysis.
“You can literally die from that amount (of alcohol),” said Magistrate Philippa Beckinsale.
Romyn was fined $1500 and disqualified from driving for 21 months.
PETER HOEHN
A Moreton Bay school principal, who was sentenced for drink driving to McDonald’s is said to have committed the crime after a “stressful day” saying goodbye to Year 12s.
Burpengary State Secondary College’s Peter Hoehn, 57, pleaded guilty in Brisbane Magistrates Court to driving while over the middle alcohol limit on Friday, November 18.
He participated in a roadside breath test about 6pm on the evening in question, returned a positive result, and was taken to a nearby police station. There, he returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.122 per cent.
Mr Hoehn was fined $800 and disqualified from driving for six months.
PENELOPE JANE BRAND
A Sunshine Coast mother, who blew more than four times the legal limit after launching her car into the air and crashing it, has been taken off the road.
Maroochydore Magistrates Court heard Penelope Jane Brand’s car launched into the air at the intersection of Feeley St and Lindsay Rd in Buderim about 8.30pm on July 14, 2022.
She was disqualified from driving for eight months and fined $650 after returning a blood alcohol reading of 0.223 per cent.
PRUE ANNE CONNOLLY
A Brisbane Broncos sales executive faced court on a string of charges after driving drunk through a busy busway in the CBD and shouting obscene language at police.
Prue Anne Connolly, 29, pleaded guilty in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday, October 14 to committing a public nuisance, obstructing a police officer, drink driving and returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.228 per cent.
She was placed on a six-month probation order and was disqualified from driving for 12 months.
KIMBERLEY ANN LONG
A bayside psychologist faced court after a drunken mistake found her passed out behind the wheel, blocking traffic and losing her memory of the night.
Capalaba resident, Kimberley Ann Long, 36, pleaded guilty in Cleveland Magistrates Court on July 25 to one count of being in charge of a vehicle while over the middle alcohol limit.
The court heard she returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.110 per cent.
She was fined $1500 and disqualified from driving for three months.
GARY CHARLES COULTER
A Stradbroke Island bus driver, who picked up a bus full of schoolchildren after a drinking session, was sentenced in court.
Amity resident, Gary Charles Coulter, 66, pleaded guilty in Cleveland Magistrates Court Monday, September 12 to one count of driving while over the general alcohol limit.
He returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.079 per cent, was fined $600 and disqualified from driving for nine months.
KAREN WILLIAMS
A high-profile mayor lost her licence for six months and was ordered to do 80 hours of community service after pleading guilty to a high-range drink-driving charge with a blood alcohol reading of 0.177 per cent.
Redland City Council mayor Karen Williams faced the charge in Cleveland Magistrates Court on August 1, a month after crashing her luxury council-owned Lexus station wagon into a fence and tree, hours after she handed down the city’s budget.
“I know I will have to work very hard to regain the trust of my community and I am absolutely committed to doing that,” Ms Williams said outside court.
CONNOR LAWRENCE LOADER
A Gympie tradie, who caused a horrific accident involving a car carrying a 10-week-old baby in Gympie, has been convicted of drink driving.
Connor Lawrence Loader, 24, pleaded guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court on August 4 to driving without due care and attention and drink driving.
The court heard he collided with a Mitsubishi Outlander on June 24 and returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.062 per cent.
He was fined $600 and disqualified from driving for one month.
JASMINE MAREE GUNDRY
An Ipswich police officer fronted court for what was described as an “embarrassing” drink driving offence.
Off-duty police woman Jasmine Maree Gundry was caught drink driving after she left a work function, where she had three wines, the Ipswich Magistrates Court heard.
Gundry was randomly pulled over on April 8 and returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.06 per cent. She was fined $400 and disqualified from driving for one month.
KYLE JAMES MILIANIS
A Wynnum carpenter faced court after what was supposed to be a happy wedding took a dramatic turn.
Kyle James Milianis, 25, pleaded guilty in Cleveland Magistrates Court on December 19, to one count of driving under the influence.
Milianis was intercepted by police at a BP and returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.172 per cent.
He was placed on a two-month probation order and was disqualified from driving for 12 months.
THERESA AGNES BABCOCK
A 77-year-old Sunshine Coast woman was told to “put (her) car on blocks” after she crashed into a parked car while almost five times the legal limit.
Theresa Agnes Babcock represented herself in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on September 5, where she pleaded guilty to driving under the influence on May 26.
Her blood alcohol reading was 0.248 per cent, nearly five times the limit, she was fined $1050 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.
RACHELLE ELISE PERRY
A former cop, who slammed into a tree while more than four times the alcohol limit became a heavy drinker through the culture at Queensland Police, a court has heard.
Rachelle Elise Perry, 27, faced Brisbane Magistrates Court charged with two counts of assaulting a police officer and one count of driving over the middle alcohol limit.
She returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.218 per cent after trapping herself in her car and kicking police.
She was fined $2000 and disqualified from driving for six months.
STELLA MATTHEWS
A Fraser Coast woman, who got behind the wheel when her blood alcohol reading was almost six times the legal limit (0.291) hit a parked car with a woman and child inside, then drove another 100m before crashing into a brick wall.
Stella Matthews, 37, pleaded guilty to drink driving and failing to stop and give particulars after the crash when she faced Hervey Bay Magistrates Court.
Matthews was fined $400, placed on nine months probation and disqualified from driving for 15 months.
CONVICTIONS RECORDED
GREGORY RICHARD TURNBULL
Nambour bricklayer Gregory Richard Turnbull was drawn into the sights of police after he followed a car off the Bruce Hwy while drinking behind the wheel at Doonan on June 4.
Turnbull told police he had “a couple of vodkas” but when he was breath tested roadside he returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.163 per cent.
He pleaded guilty in Noosa Magistrates Court to drink driving, driving while disqualified, failing to provide a specimen of breath and drinking liquor while driving.
He was fined $1500, his license was disqualified for three years and a conviction was recorded.
SAMUEL JOHN DWYER
A man, who sped away from police in Sunshine Beach before calling them to come and get him from a service station, received a suspended prison sentence in a Noosa court.
Samuel John Dwyer, 20, of Sunrise Beach pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, high-range drink-driving, failing to stop and obstructing police.
He returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.158 per cent, was fined $1400, disqualified from driving for 14 months and received an 18-month suspended prison sentence.
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