Drunk Birkdale Uber driver blasted at Cleveland court for endangering clients

“It is insane”: A high-range drink driving Uber driver has left a magistrate flabbergasted at the sheer hypocrisy of his offending.

An Uber driver who couriered clients while more than three times the alcohol limit has been excoriated by a magistrate for his “absolute abuse of trust” and “such hypocrisy”.

Armed with a host of character references the demure man appeared at Cleveland Magistrates Court this morning where he pleaded guilty to one count of driving while under the influence of liquor.

Clocking a blood-alcohol level of 0.153 per cent Birkdale man James Edward Bennett, 47, was left in no doubt to the court’s appraisal of his offending.

“It is insane,” Magistrate Deborah Vasta said.

“Clients were paying him to protect them from what he did.

“It is a massive breach of trust with the company and his passengers”.

Likely to never be able to drive with the Uber platform again the court heard Bennett had been intercepted by police at around 3.20am on Rickertt Road in Ransome.

A police prosecutor said Bennett told officers on the morning he had just dropped off a client and had been on his way home.

Defence solicitor Ben Taylor said his client was a hardworking man with significant health issues who would be seriously hampered by the loss of ability to work as a driver.

Despite that, Mr Taylor said the defendant made no excuses for his offending for which he was “extremely remorseful”.

The defence further told the court Bennett had completed the Queensland Traffic Offenders Program, cared for his son who was also of poor health, and did not have a “persistent alcohol problem”.

MORE COURT STORIES:

Capalaba mother of 3 drives while almost nine times the limit

No shortage of high-range drink drivers at Cleveland court

Deadly message ignored as drivers risk lives with drink and drug driving

Magistrate Vasta, who informed the court Queensland was on its way to one of its worst years for road fatalities, acknowledged the man’s personal challenges but reaffirmed the seriousness of the offence.

“He was out there knowing he was drinking,” she said.

“It is such a hypocrisy and an absolute abuse of their trust”.

Bennett was ordered to complete 40 hours of community service and disqualified from driving for six months.

With no previous drink driving to his name, a conviction was not recorded.

An Uber spokesman said the company takes drink driving very seriously.

“We have a zero tolerance approach to alcohol or drugs on the app, which all partners agree to when they sign up to the Uber app,” the spokesman said.

“It is something we take extremely seriously for the safety of all users and members of the community, and evidence of alcohol use could result in a driver partner losing access to the app permanently”.