Redland mayor Karen Williams guilty of high-range drink driving, hit with 80 hours’ community service
Redland Mayor Karen Williams plans to return to work this week with the aim of winning back the support of her community after pleading guilty to high-range drink driving. WATCH THE VIDEO
Redlands Coast
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A high-profile mayor has lost her licence for six months and ordered to do 80 hours of community service after pleading guilty to a high-range drink-driving charge.
Redland City Council mayor Karen Williams faced the charge in Cleveland Magistrates Court on Monday, August 1, a month after crashing her luxury council-owned Lexus station wagon into a fence and tree, hours after she handed down the city’s budget.
She left court without a fine or a conviction recorded vowing to return to work.
Williams addressed the media after her hearing and, despite being heckled by Sam Fletcher, a member of a workers’ union, vowed to repay her debt and win back the support of her community.
Standing next to her husband, Peter, Williams apologised for her “lapse in judgment” and later said she hoped to return to work this week.
She had to speak over yelling from community members who said she “didn’t deserve” to be mayor.
“I am sorry for the people who put their trust in me and for that I unreservedly apologise,” she said.
“I want to be clear on one point, I love our Redlands community and that’s why I have been dedicated to serving this community since I was elected in 2004 and that is why I will continue to do the job that I was elected to do.
“I know I will have to work very hard to regain the trust of my community and I am absolutely committed to doing that.”
Williams, who admitted to drinking four glasses of wine after handing down the city budget and had previously made a public apology, appeared before Magistrate Deborah Vasta.
The court heard she was charged with drink driving with a blood alcohol reading of 0.177 per cent — more than three times the limit — following the June 23 crash just after 8pm in Cleveland.
Her lawyer Calvin Gnech said the 55-year-old mayor crashed her luxury council Lexus station wagon after a “stressful” day handing down the annual budget and not eating since the previous evening.
Mr Gnech also spoke of Ms Williams “very little traffic history” record and tendered six character references.
Magistrate Vasta read out some “vitriolic” text messages sent to Ms Williams.
One said: “Very sad you didn’t die in the crash”.
Another used the words “two-faced b*tch” and others said “lying cow, hope you go to hell”.
“It seems to me there is a group of people who feel very betrayed by the actions and behaviour and who may perceive (you) to be a two-faced politician who has knocked their grief for her own politician gain,” she said.
“I am not for one second saying that this is what actually happened but I feel there is a perception in the community by a small group of very hurt people.
“There have been public attacks and you have copped a lot of vitriol by those who feel betrayed.
“ … But I understand the impact of recording a conviction both economically and socially and … the discretion is up to the magistrate.”
She did not record a conviction due to Williams’ good driving record and 18 years serving her community.
It had previously been reported that an hour before the crash, Williams had held an online video conference with families of victims killed at the hands of drunk drivers including Judy Lindsay, mother of Hayley Russell, who died in 2008.
Ms Lindsay, who was at court, said the community service penalty and no financial fine was appropriate but believed Ms Williams should have been convicted.
“That was too lenient but five years with an interlocking device will definitely stop any drink driving behaviour.”
Others at the video meeting were members of the families of Matt Fielding and Kate Leadbetter, a Redland couple who were killed on an Alexandra Hills footpath while walking their dogs.
Ms Williams will undertake her community service at Redlands Probation and Parole Office at Capalaba.
Capalaba MP Don Brown said the sentence was too soft and sent the wrong message to drink drivers.
“This is such a soft sentence and I believe it sends the wrong message when it comes to drink driving,” he said.
“Taking into account her reputation is not fair for regular citizens who don’t get the same treatment.”
Redland councillor Adelia Berridge said she found it difficult to reconcile the mayor’s behaviour with strong civic standards.
“The mayor’s office organised a meeting with parents who had lost a child and then she start advocating she would lead the charge for stronger education and DUI laws while she was intoxicated,” Cr Berridge said.
Former Queensland Law Society president Bill Potts said the sentence for drink-driving mayor Karen Williams was “middle-range” but praised Magistrate Deborah Vasta for a “clever outcome”.
Mr Potts said it was automatic by law to have an interlock device fitted to a car after a guilty plea for a high-range drink driving charge and the disqualification period was “spot on”.
However, he said it was “odd” that Williams was not fined.
“Courts usually give fines to people who have the capacity to pay rather than community service, which is usually given to people who don’t have money,” he said.
“However, it is much harder to do community service than to pay a fine for those who have the means.
“She will have to line up with the public and those she is represents and it is a palpable and real way to remind both herself and the community that if you drink and drive you’re a bloody idiot.”
Mr Potts said he expected the level of public shaming and no previous traffic records would have also been considered before deciding not to record a conviction.
Ms Williams is currently on unpaid leave but plans to return to work this week.
Under the Local Government Act, elected politicians can be dismissed if convicted of charges which have a penalty of more than a year’s jail term.
In Queensland, high-range drink driving is the most serious drink driving offence and carries a maximum penalty of nine months imprisonment and or 28 penalty units for a first offence.
Here is how it compares to court decisions from April for drink driving.
Jimboomba woman Nicolette Barrett was busted driving while more than three times the legal alcohol limit after a birthday party in April.
She returned a positive reading of 0.155 per cent, was fined $800 and disqualified from driving for six months with no conviction recorded.
Lisa Anne Cecilia Johnson, 34, of Wynnum North, who pleaded guilty to driving drunk and unlicensed after crashing her car into a tree on a traffic island, was sentenced to 12 months’ probation and disqualified from driving for seven months. No conviction was recorded.
Red Hill woman Lily Rhiannon Skelton, was disqualified from driving for three months and fined $500 with no convictions recorded after pleading guilty to drink driving and returning a breath analysis of 0.075 per cent, which was over the middle alcohol range but not in the high range.
Logan concreter Waylon William Wood, who pleaded guilty to nine charges including drink driving after crashing his car while more than four times the limit, was fined $1800 and disqualified from driving for eight months.
He had a 0.209 blood alcohol reading and was also found to be driving unlicensed and his car was unregistered, uninsured and had a registration plate that didn’t belong to it.
No convictions were recorded.
Bracken Ridge man Bradley Darryl Harvey, 54, pleaded guilty to mid-range drink driving after posting a breath blood alcohol reading of 0.121 per cent.
He was fined $500 and suspended from holding a licence for three months. Convictions were recorded.
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