‘Extremely high reading’ among drink driving offences at Cleveland court

A Queensland magistrate has taken a novel approach to giving drink-drivers a talking-to as a procession made their way through court.

With the state’s road toll up on last year’s record low, a southeast Queensland magistrate let a graphic road safety video do the talking at a court that saw another “extremely high” drink-driving reading.

Multiple drivers appearing at the Cleveland Magistrates Court today pleaded guilty to drink-driving, as the road toll sat at 248.

East Brisbane woman Tanya Louise Fraser, 42, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of liquor.

A shocked police prosecutor said tests would confirm the unemployed woman had a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.231 per cent when she was intercepted.

Tanya Fraser leaves Cleveland Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to high-range drink-driving. Picure: Marcel Baum

Nearly five times the legal limit Fraser, the court heard, was stopped by officers at around 10.40pm on November 14 on Shore St, Cleveland.

With no like offending “for many years” Fraser was sentenced to 12 months’ probation and disqualified from driving for 12 months, with no conviction recorded.

Redland Bay scaffolder Tama Whetu Tume, 28, racked up his second drink driving offence since January and only just avoided a high-range reading.

The court heard Tume had driven to “get some food” when he was intercepted at Victoria Point Shopping Centre at 12.10am on November 19 with a blood-alcohol level of 0.140 per cent.

Tume copped a $1000 fine and was disqualified from driving for five months with no conviction recorded.

Strong character references and no like offending in seven years allowed delivery driver Jonathan Mark Vos, 37, to successfully apply for a work licence.

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The Capalaba man will be limited to driving exclusively for work purposes between 5am – 3pm, Monday to Friday for the next four months.

Having driven with a confirmed blood-alcohol level of 0.119 about 11.20pm on October 1 on Moreton Bay Rd, Capalaba, he too was fined $1000 with no conviction recorded.