Ormiston’s Joanne Maree Goodellis drives into Moreton Bay while on cocktail prescription drugs

A woman driving on nine prescription drugs was saved by strangers after they found her floating in Moreton Bay, a court has heard.

A 60-year-old woman “off the planet” on a cocktail of nine prescription drugs was lucky to have not killed anyone when she was found floating in her car in Moreton Bay after she mistook street lights for shopping centre lights, a court has heard.

Joanne Maree Goodellis of Ormiston appeared via phone at Cleveland Magistrates Court on Thursday due to serious mobility issues caused in part by a (previously) broken back.

The defendant pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of liquor due to her “grossly affected” state.

The court heard members of the public ran to her assistance when they noticed Goodellis “floating” in about three feet of water some 20 metres away from the Wellington Point boat ramp at around 7.50pm on July 20, 2020.

Members of the public and police extracted her and noticed her “grossly affected” state which included swaying on her feet and glassy eyes, according to the prosecution.

Her court matter was significantly delayed in wait of a seven-page doctors note, the court was told.

It established she had been on nine prescription drugs that included oxycodone, fentanyl, diazepam, nordiazepam and more than 35 times the recommended safe amount of pregabalin.

The court heard Goodellis was lucky there were still people at the Wellington Point Recreation Reserve, in Wellington Point when she drove into the bay. Generic image used. (AAP Image/Josh Woning)

“It is by sheer luck that she did not kill anyone and that there were people around,” police prosecutor Sergeant Angela Tetley said.

Goodellis told police on the day that she had not been depressed but had mistaken street lights leading to the boat ramp for shopping centre lights, the court heard.

Defence solicitor Natasha Shorter said her client suffered serious mobility issues and pain from a broken back and other ailments and had no similar history on her record.

“She is incredibly embarrassed and has insight to the risk she posed,” Ms Shorter said.

Goodellis’s licence had since been suspended due to her medical issues and regularly saw a GP to more carefully administer her medication, according to the defence.

Magistrate Deborah Vasta said the defendant had clearly been “off the planet” and would have to “jump through many hoops” to regain her licence.

“All your pain now would pale in comparison if you had killed someone,” Ms Vasta said.

Given the dated nature of the offence and the medical suspension of her licence, Goodellis was fined $1,500.

She was further disqualified from driving for 12 months, having already been disqualified for six months.

No conviction was recorded.