Darrin John Taylor sentenced for drug driving and trespassing

A 52-year-old man was found passed out in his car with drugs in his system, only a few months after being caught trespassing on a property as he was given a wrong address by his Snapchat date.

Darrin John Taylor was found collapsed across the steering wheel of his car with methylamphetamine and marijuana in his system on Shute Harbour Rd in Cannonvale on May 11.

A 52-year-old army veteran was found passed out on drugs in his car only a few months after being caught trespassing in a Snapchat date gone wrong.

Proserpine Magistrates Court on Monday heard Darrin John Taylor was found collapsed across the steering wheel of his car with methylamphetamine and marijuana in his system on Shute Harbour Rd in Cannonvale on May 11.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Emma Myors said police were called in to an incident with the report at the time that it wasn’t clear whether the man “was live or not”.

They found Taylor passed out as the vehicle was still running and was parked across “several parking spaces”.

Ms Myors said this was the second time he had been arrested for drug driving in two months with another arrest on February 5.

At that time, Taylor had told police that he took medicinal marijuana prescription to treat back issues.

“It is concerning that there’s been these two drug driving charges in such a short period of time,” Ms Myors said.

“It doesn’t matter what type of cannabis one smokes, they can’t be driving.”

Taylor was also charged with concealing a flick knife on February 5, when he was arrested for a first drug driving offence.

Earlier that year, the court heard Taylor had also trespassed on a woman’s property, thinking he would be meeting a woman he had met on Snapchat but instead the woman who lived there had made a complaint as he had been entering the premises by a back entrance.

Solicitor Cleo Rewald, from Richards Rewald Lawyers, told the court Taylor has had multiple surgeries on his back following injuries he has sustained during his service within the army.

Ms Rewald told the court that at the time of the offences, his medication had just been changed with medicinal marijuana to replace previous opioids medication.

On the day he was found passed out in his car, he had needed assistance from the Queensland Ambulance Service as he had a blood infection, she said.

Taylor pleaded guilty to two counts of drug driving, to unlawfully entering or remain in a dwelling or yard and to unlawfully possess a weapon.

Magistrate Michelle Howard recognised this was out of character for Taylor as he had no traffic or criminal history at 52.

He was fined $700 and his licence was disqualified for two months.

Convictions were not recorded.

If you or someone else is in crisis and needs immediate help, you can call Open Arms – Veterans & Families Counselling on 1800 011 046.

You can also call Lifeline Australia on 13 11 14.