Moreton Bay school principal Peter Hoehn pleaded guilty for drink driving

A Moreton Bay region school principal has paid a hefty price for a drunken McDonald’s run after he was caught driving nearly 2.5 times the legal limit.

Peter Hoehn, 57, leaving the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday, November 28, 2022. Picture: Jessica Baker

A Moreton Bay school principal who was driving at almost 2.5 times the legal alcohol limit to pick up dinner from McDonald’s did so after a “very stressful day”, a court has heard.

Peter Hoehn, 57, of Bunya appeared in Brisbane Magistrates Court on Monday, November 28 and pleaded guilty to a single charge of driving while over the middle alcohol limit.

The educator was charged after participating in a roadside breath test about a week ago, on November 18, and returning a positive result.

He was taken to a nearby police station where he blew over the middle alcohol limit – a blood alcohol reading of 0.122 per cent.

Prosecutor Senior Constable Tri Pham said Mr Hoehn told police he had consumed four alcoholic drinks at home before driving to get food.

Mr Hoehn’s lawyer Jack Marshall explained the offending took place after a “very stressful day”, amid leading a school of more than 1100 students and following the recent passing of both of his parents.

He was said to have drunk scotch before getting behind the wheel to pick up dinner for his family from McDonald’s.

Mr Marshall said Mr Hoehn was a “generally responsible road user” with a very limited and dated traffic history which only included speeding offences.

He said he accepted his decision to drive while over the limit was “very foolish” and he was taking the matter seriously.

The court heard he participated in, and had taken “significant learnings” from, a state program for traffic offenders.

Mr Marshall asked that his client be allowed a work licence as, being a senior principal in his school’s area, he had plenty to attend to.

Magistrate Andrew Moloney took into consideration Mr Hoehn’s responsibilities both leading up to and at the time of offending, such as having to organise a school during the Covid-19 pandemic and having parents who fell ill and later died.

He said it appeared as though Mr Hoehn “became overwhelmed” with his circumstances, labelling his decision to drink-drive as “very much” out of character.

Mr Moloney noted the principal’s traffic history was one of the best he had seen, particularly for a person who had been driving for some 40 years.

Mr Hoehn was granted a restricted licence under which he could not carry passengers and was only permitted to drive for work purposes between 6.30am and 10pm Monday to Friday.

He was fined $800 and disqualified from holding or obtaining a regular driver’s licence for six months.