Sherie Shandelle McCarthy, 42, breaks key on woman’s face during ‘bizarre’ drink drive offence

A serial drink-driver called police to retrieve a car key she broke against a woman’s face in a “bizarre” road rage incident.

A serial drink-driver who called police after she broke a car key against the face of another driver during a violent drunken encounter has been warned by a magistrate that “you are a death statistic waiting to happen”.

Magistrate Zachary Sarra did not mince his words when he addressed Sherie Shandelle McCarthy, 42, today at Wynnum Magistrates Court after the Queensland Department of Health worker pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol.

“You are becoming a recidivist drink driver,” Magistrate Sarra said.

“But for the grace of God you have not killed someone.

“How many times do you have to be charged before you stop?

“You are a death statistic waiting to happen.”

The court heard on February 11 at around 8.10pm McCarthy called police to retrieve her key which had fallen into a female driver’s vehicle after it broke off against the woman’s face when the defendant struck her.

McCarthy, the court was told, was “lucky not to be charged with assault”.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Andy Ross said responding officers who arrived at a Cannon Hill car park noted a strong smell of liquor coming from the defendant.

Tests would confirm she had a blood-alcohol level of 0.160 per cent at the time – more than three times the legal limit.

The court heard McCarthy had “a history of aggressive and bizarre” drunken behaviour which “aggravated” her February 11 offending and occurred after a bottle of vodka had been consumed.

In 1999 she was fined $400 after driving with a blood-alcohol level of 0.97 per cent; in 2015 she drove with a reading of 0.139 per cent and in 2018 she got behind the wheel while nearly three times the limit with a reading of 0.133 per cent, the court heard.

McCarthy was also sentenced for violent drunken behaviour in 2019, the court heard, when she pleaded guilty to obstructing police, drunk and disorderly behaviour and public nuisance.

And in 2020, the court was told, she was sentenced for a dishonesty offence.

Noting the escalation and continued offending Magistrate Sarra questioned an at times sobbing McCarthy whether she had considered what it would feel like were she to kill children in another drunken expedition on our roads.

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The defendant said she was embarrassed to be at court for the offence and claimed she had a borderline personality disorder which triggered impulsive behaviour.

Defence solicitor Lyle Parker said his client had an otherwise productive life, had prospects of working in the state’s vaccine rollout and proactively sought rehabilitation services.

All of which did little to diminish the gravity of her offending, according to the magistrate.

“You continue to drink copious amounts of alcohol and drive,” Magistrate Sarra said.

McCarthy was disqualified from driving for 12 months and sentenced to two months’ jail, wholly suspended over 12 months.