The women who shocked Cleveland Magistrates Court with their high-range drink driving
One was almost nine times over limit and another fell asleep at a major intersection. Read how these women have shocked with DUI readings that are beyond belief.
Redlands Coast
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Monday mornings at Cleveland Magistrates Court usually starts with Magistrate Deborah Vasta showing a graphic road safety video in an attempt to succinctly articulate the horrors wrought by drink drivers on our roads.
It comes after a year of terrible loss on our roads in 2020 when 276 people died – 57 more than the year prior.A common view from police prosecutors at the court during matters of drink driving describe the activity as “a scourge on our roads”.
Not everyone listens.
Below we list the women who shocked even hardened legal practitioners with blood-alcohol readings more than three times the legal limit.
BRIDGETTE DOROTHY WALLS
A doctor’s letter tendered at the December 1 hearing for Walls, 37, stated that a certain percentage of people would have died outright from the 0.472 per cent blood-alcohol reading she was confirmed with.
At nearly nine times the legal limit the sky-high reading so appalled police prosecutor Sergeant Angela Tetley she told the court it was the highest such reading she had seen in a person still alive.
“This is the highest reading I have seen where the person is still alive and that is in my capacity as a paramedic and a police officer,” Sgt Tetley said.
“Thank god she hasn’t killed someone in the community – she has gone through someone’s backyard (with her car), injured herself and her vehicle and (done so) with a massive reading”.
Walls was sentenced to three years’ probation and disqualified from driving for 18 months.
LISA JANE DELANEY
On February 9 Delaney’s own defence solicitor acknowledged her “astronomical” drink drive reading before she told the court she was deeply ashamed of her behaviour, after crashing into a van.
With multiple bottles of wine behind her, according to a police prosecutor, Delaney, 35, on October 1 crashed into a van on her street.
Tests would confirm she had a blood-alcohol reading of 0.322 per cent – nearly six-and-a-half times the legal limit – some time after the crash.
The court heard Delaney had, according to a witness, drunk wine “all day long” and tried to hide her damaged vehicle after the crash at around 4pm.
Delaney was sentenced to two years’ probation and, having been without a licence for four months, disqualified for a further six months.
A conviction was recorded.
MARNIE LOUISE WENT
The 45-year-old domestic violence support worker, described as a “model citizen” and lauded by colleagues, told the court on February 8 she “felt sick to her stomach” when she realised the precariousness of her situation, after she drove while nearly five times the alcohol limit.
Went lamented “the worst decision of her life” after she pleaded guilty to driving while under the influence of liquor.
Pulled over by police at around 11.30pm on January 7 for driving too slowly on Cleveland-Redland Bay Road, the Redland Bay woman would show “an extremely high reading” of 0.248 when tests were confirmed.
Went was ordered to complete 60 hours of community service and disqualified from driving for six months.
No conviction was recorded.
TANYA LOUISE FRASER
East Brisbane woman Tanya Louise Fraser, 42, pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of liquor on December 7.
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.
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.
MARIANNE ELIZABETH EDMONDS
The 45-year-old director of a prominent Brisbane events company sporting a multimillion-dollar turnover was found asleep behind the wheel in the middle of a busy road with an “extremely high” blood alcohol reading, the court heard.
Appearing on December 14 the court heard tests confirmed Ascot woman Edmonds had a blood-alcohol level of 0.211 per cent – more than four times the legal limit – when she was found by police on November 8.
Slumped behind the wheel, the court heard officers observed her asleep while stationary in the middle of Cleveland Redland Bay Rd at an intersection in Thornlands at around 1.45pm.
With a two-page traffic history which excluded drink driving to her name, a police prosecutor told the court other drivers had to manoeuvre around Edmonds’ vehicle.
Edmonds was fined $3000 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.
No conviction was recorded.
LYNNE ARNOLD
Appearing at the Cleveland Magistrates Court via phone in May Lynne Arnold, 63, was disqualified from driving for six months and fined $1200 after pleading guilty to driving while under the influence of liquor.
The court heard Arnold was intercepted by police at 6.55pm on December 14, 2019 at High St on Russell Island.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Duncan Blackburn said the defendant had swerved towards another vehicle shortly before the intercept.
Tests would later confirm a blood alcohol reading of 0.194 – nearly four times the legal limit.
Defence solicitor Tania Lacy said her client had been drinking wine with friends on the day and had developed a habit of medicating a 2005 workplace spinal injury with alcohol.
A conviction was recorded.
JOSEPHINE MARY RADOVIC
A retired nurse bereaved at a friend’s illness was found lying in the middle of a road with significant injuries, after crashing her moped while almost four times the legal alcohol limit, the court heard this week.
Josephine Mary Radovic, 57, was supported by a friend at Cleveland Magistrates Court on February 22 when she pleaded guilty to one count of driving while under the influence of liquor.
The court heard Radovic had attempted to ride 300 metres to an ailing friend’s house at Point Lookout on North Stradbroke Island at around 11.10pm on November 26.
Police would arrive to find the mother of three lying in the road with “significant injuries” to a wrist and ribs.
Tests would confirm she had a blood-alcohol reading of 0.179.
Radovic was fined $1,600 and disqualified from driving for six months, having already been without a licence since November.
No convictions were recorded.
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