Southside’s drunkest drivers in Holland Park court
On a day of road carnage, these drivers fronted a Brisbane court for drink driving. Some blew four times the limit, prompting a magistrate to warn about the perils of booze and cars.
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Dead relatives, COVID-19, birthday celebrations — the excuses flowed thick and fast in Holland Park Magistrates Court today as one drink driver after another faced the consequences of their foolhardy actions.
Two smashed their cars as a result of their drinking, prompting Magistrate Simon Young to warn that only “dumb luck’’ had prevented injury or death in one case outside a primary school.
Several blew nearly 0.2, or four times the legal limit.
And these were just the drink drivers, there were drug drivers as well pleading their cases.
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The unenviable record for the highest reading of the day went to Michelle Milika Addison, who had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.198.
She was spotted by police sitting in her car at the BP service station forecourt on May 17.
The court heard the engine was running and keys were in the ignition when police knocked on her window.
Addison admitted to drinking one and a half bottles of wine and then driving to the service station at 1.25am to buy cigarettes.
She had lost her job due to COVID-19 after many years of constant employment and was suffering from depression and anxiety, although she had no documentation to prove that.
“I live only 900m from the service station, I could have walked,’’ a remorseful Addison told the court.
“I had quit smoking recently but decided to get some cigarettes (anyway).
“I’m ashamed. I’ve never done this before.’’
Although she had a two-page traffic history, there were no similar offences and Mr Young accepted Addison was “not in the habit’’ of drink driving.
“Everyone is going through these challenges (COVID-19 job losses) at the moment. There’s a lot of empathy for these challenges,’’ he told Addison.
“But even at that time of night, even that distance carries with it some degree of risk (when drunk driving).
“You were rolling drunk and you made a stupid decision - 0.198 is almost four times the limit. It is inexcusable and must be condemned by the court.’’
Mr Young, who took into account her guilty plea, disqualified her from driving for nine months and fined her $900.
Jamie Fitzmaurice also said COVID-19 had contributed to his decision to drive while way over the limit.
He was picked up by police on May 20 on Beenleigh Rd, Kuraby, at 7.26pm after crashing into another car outside Kuraby State School.
The court heard his voice was slurred and he smelled of alcohol when police interviewed him. He recorded a BAC of 0.185.
Fitzmaurice’s solicitor told the court his client “was in his cups’’ because it was difficult for him to visit his daughter during lockdown.
But he said Fitzmaurice admitted it was a foolish mistake, he had reimbursed the other driver for the damage to their car, had apologised and pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
Mr Young was unimpressed.
“The circumstances of this offence is one of the most serious examples (he had seen today),’’ he said.
“It was just dumb good luck that you did not kill yourself or someone else.’’
However, he found Fitzmaurice was “otherwise a productive, valuable member of the community’’.
Mr Young disqualified him for 15 months, issued a $1200 fine and ordered a conviction be recorded.
Glenn Patrick Somers, technician, was also disqualified, for 12 months, after being picked up by police at Evans Rd, Salisbury, on August 7 about 9.30pm.
He blew 0.134 and admitted to having being drinking with friends before jumping in his car.
His solicitor told the court Somers’ last traffic offence was 13 years ago and his client had completed a traffic offender course since the incident.
Mr Young also fined Somers, who pleaded guilty, $750 but allowed him a work driver’s licence.
Mohamed Abdelhamed Daldoom was not so lucky.
The court was told Daldoom was recorded with a BAC of 0.109 on July 16 on Creek Rd, Mt Gravatt East.
When police pulled him over they found numerous alcohol containers in the back of the car.
It was Daldoom’s latest in a string of driving offences including two other drink driving convictions.
Mr Young disqualified him from driving for 12 months, placed him on 12 months’ probation and told him it could easily have been longer. No conviction was recorded.
Xiao Ou Yu then fronted the court after a frightening incident on Mains Rd, Macgregor, in which police alleged she sped past their patrol car and swerved between lanes before finally stopping after police activated their lights and siren.
She blew 0.13 despite claiming to have only drunk two beers for dinner.
Her lawyer told the court it was the first anniversary of the deaths of her father and grandmother and Yu was in a fragile emotional state.
He said she was extremely remorseful, had pleaded guilty early and was very cooperative with police.
Mr Young said while he took into account her personal circumstances, they did not excuse her actions.
“You were a danger to yourself and other road users. Your loss does not excuse you from putting other families’ lives at risk,’’ he said.
Mr Young disqualified Yu from driving for six months and fined her $500. A conviction was recorded.
Vidya Sagar was caught with a BAC of 0.087 on July 29 at Orange Grove Rd, Salisbury, after police were called to a two-car crash.
The court heard Sagar, who pleaded guilty, had had lunch with friends at Cleveland and had his last drink at 3pm before crashing into the car at 4.10pm, causing significant damage.
“You made a very, very poor decision. Circumstances like these demonstrate the very real dangers of drink driving,’’ Mr Young told him.
He disqualified Sagar for three months, fined him $650 and recorded a conviction.
Vivek KC was disqualified from driving for five months and fined $650 after being pulled over on July 5 in Holland Park West. He had a BAC of 0.125.
Vivek, a student, told the court he was celebrating his birthday and had been drinking the night before.
He had a pint of beer the next day, not realising that put him over the limit.