A crash, driving into oncoming traffic and urging police to book them: Multiple plead guilty to DUI

“Book me, book me”: A southeast Queensland court had no shortage of drivers who were so drunk they variously crashed, did burnouts and drove into oncoming traffic recently.

Multiple drivers received hefty fines and extensive disqualification periods at a bayside court today after pleading guilty to high-level drink driving.

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Magistrate Deborah Vasta told the Cleveland Magistrates Court that 233 Queenslanders have already died on our roads this year, a marked increase from 2019.

Peter Vincent Gatt, 35, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of liquor (DUI).

The court heard the Redland Bay man faces some $15,000 in damages wrought to his employer’s vehicle after he rear-ended another vehicle and was lucky to escape without injuries to himself or the other driver.

A police prosecutor said the defendant had consumed beer and liquor at the Cleveland Sands Hotel on October 16 and admitted to officers on scene at Colthouse Drive and Cleveland Redland Bay Road in Thornlands that he had taken his eyes off the road before the crash at around 8.15pm.

Tests would confirm he had a blood-alcohol level of 0.160 per cent at the time.

Defence solicitor David Abrey said his client realised how lucky he was to have escaped injury to himself and others, had spent $8,000 in rehabilitation, had completed the Queensland Traffic Offenders Program (QTOP) and received numerous references speaking to his good character.

Gatt, who Magistrate Vasta said had “quite a few” traffic offences on his history, was fined $2,000 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.

No conviction was recorded.

Ben Gibson Ratcliffe, 32, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of liquor (DUI) and fail to provide specimen of breath for analysis or blood for test on requirement.

Drink drivers Ben Ratcliffe (left) and Peter Gatt (right) fronted Cleveland Magistrates Court.

The court heard Manly West man Ratcliffe was so intoxicated he had to be taken to the watch-house for his own safety after a witness observed him driving on the wrong side of the road on Manly Road on October 15.

Intercepted by police at around 8pm, a police prosecutor said the defendant made admissions to officers on the night that he had consumed liquor before driving to a 7-Eleven petrol station.

Magistrate Vasta said the man’s chequered traffic history included two incidents of drug driving and one drink drive in the last five years.

An unrepresented Ratcliffe told the court he had suffered a terrible personal loss at the time, had struggled with addiction for years and had no recollection of the incident but was deeply remorseful.

The magistrate congratulated the defendant on starting his own business in commercial residence maintenance and “crawling his way back” from addiction.

Ratcliffe was sentenced to 12 months’ probation and disqualified from driving for 12 months.

A conviction was recorded.

Wayne Andrew Robson Temple, 37, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of liquor (DUI).

The court heard Redland Bay man Temple was incoherent, glassy-eyed and smelling of liquor when he urged intercepting officers to “book me, book me”.

The court was told the defendant was witnessed doing a burnout near a Cleveland 7-Eleven petrol station at around 6.30pm on October 25 before driving on the wrong side of the road.

A police prosecutor said the defendant refused to provide a blood-alcohol test and so was charged with DUI.

Temple was sentenced to 18 months’ probation and disqualified from driving for nine months.

A conviction was recorded.