Cleveland magistrate pulls no punches addressing drink drivers endangering their communities
A Bunnings supervisor, a chicken farmer and an islander hoping for a quick profit on a car sale were among the drink drivers who lost their licenses for months at a southeast Queensland court today.
Redlands Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Redlands Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A magistrate gave a sobering message to motorists caught driving while well over the legal limit when she told a court a few dozen people walking around Queensland today will be dead by the end of the year, in part due to drink driving.
Russell Island woman nearly four times over after near-miss
Cleveland court hands out thousands in fines as drivers plead guilty to drink driving
Macleay Island Golf Club cellarman drives while more than four times limit
Appearing at the Cleveland Magistrates Court today multiple people pleaded guilty to drink driving.
Redland Bay man Joshua Willem Neale, 24, was fined $300 and disqualified from driving for two months for driving over the limit at 10.03pm on July 31 at Shore Street in Cleveland.
Tests would confirm the Bunnings supervisor had a blood-alcohol level of 0.076 per cent.
An unrepresented Neale was granted a work licence that would enable him to drive at any time of day for the sole purpose of work.
The court heard Russell Island local Randy Scott Retchless, 63, was nearly two-and-a-half times the limit when police intercepted him at around 4.30pm on High Street at Russell Island on September 3.
Out to buy some cigarettes in a recently bought car he planned to sell for a profit, Retchless had a confirmed blood-alcohol level of 0.121 per cent.
Magistrate Deborah Vasta said any chance at a profit was likely squandered when she fined him $800 and disqualified him from driving for three months.
And the court was told chicken farmer John Barry Robb, 39, had shown his Macleay Island community “no regard” by drink driving on two occasions in quick succession, eventually writing off his vehicle.
Robb had a blood-alcohol level of 0.076 when intercepted at around 6.10pm on July 4 and tests would confirm a reading of 0.098 per cent on July 19.
The unrepresented defendant told the court he had been out testing the battery of a vehicle he planned to sell the next day when he wrote it off in a single vehicle accident.
Robb was disqualified from driving for seven months.