Drink driving, speeding, using phone: traffic offenders in Coffs court
Drunk, speeding, unlicensed, on the phone – these drivers have all been before Coffs Harbour court in recent weeks. See the full list here:
Police & Courts
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From drunk drivers to people using their mobile phones while driving, traffic offenders keep the justice system busy in Coffs Harbour.
These traffic offenders have appeared before Magistrate Ian Rodgers in recent months at Coffs Harbour Local Court:
Amanda Lee Duggan
A mother who was recently diagnosed with cancer got behind the wheel again without a licence, Coffs Harbour Local Court heard on Monday March 21.
Amanda Lee Duggan was back before Magistrate Ian Rodgers for driving without a licence on February 24, just weeks after appearing before him for three counts of the same offence which occurred in January.
“You’re on a slippery slope, Ms Duggan,” Mr Rodgers warned.
“Some magistrates would send you to jail for this.
“Don’t be one of those people who go to jail over something like this.”
The 41-year-old was last before Mr Rodgers on January 31 for driving without a licence on three separate occasions in the space of a few weeks.
She was detected on January 7 and 13.
For two of the offences in January she was fined $440 and disqualified from driving for three months but no conviction was recorded. For the third offence she was disqualified from driving for four months and convicted and sentenced to a nine-month community correction order.
For the latest offence of driving without a licence she was fined $550 and convicted and sentenced to a community correction order for a period of 12 months.
She was ordered to perform 100 hours of community service work and disqualified from holding a driver‘s/rider’s licence for six months from March 21.
BPE Contractors
A heavy haulage company based at Raleigh, south of Coffs Harbour, found itself in trouble with the law again.
BPE Contractors offers a range of services, from earthmoving to heavy haulage.
The company was working on clearing the Waterfall Way which has been impacted by several landslips in the recent downpours.
Their trucks have also been employed to move large boats at Harwood Marine.
Manager Tyler Pemberton fronted Coffs Harbour Local Court on behalf of the company.
BPE Contractors was convicted and fined $1000 for the charge: cause etc use of dangerously defective heavy motor vehicle.
Mehari Araya Ghebremarium
An African refugee, who has very little memory of crashing into four cars and a power pole after drinking local brew at a party, has fronted court over the incident.
Mehari Araya Ghebremarium pleaded guilty in Coffs Harbour Local Court on Monday to driving with a middle range concentration of alcohol on January 9.
Magistrate Ian Rodgers told the court it was a very serious drink driving matter.
He said Ghebremarium’s reading of 0.144 was “right at the top of mid range – nearly three times the legal limit”.
The court heard the 56-year-old was a refugee from the northeast African nation of Eritrea. He came to Australia in 2014 and had become an Australian citizen.
Ghebremarium was convicted and sentenced to a six-month intensive correction order and 50 hours of community service work.
He was also disqualified from driving for three months to be followed by a 12-month interlock period.
Wayne Reed
An ex-cop, who went to the beach to celebrate with his girlfriend after buying a new car, ended up in Coffs Harbour court for drink driving twice in one night.
The court heard Wayne Andrew Reed, 51, was medically retired from the police force 15 years ago, after 17 years on the job.
His lawyer Joe Fahey told the court his client was “not normally a drinker” but was an ultra-marathon runner who trained several times a week.
Mr Fahey said it helped Reed with his anxiety, but he had put on 10kg since the January 11 incident.
The court heard Reed lived in Upper Orara and worked as a car detailer at Mike Blewitt Ford in Coffs Harbour.
For driving with a middle range concentration of alcohol he was convicted and fined $770 and was disqualified from driving for three months to be followed by a 12-month interlock period.
For the second offence of driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol he was convicted and sentenced to a community correction order for nine months from March 14.
For driving while his licence was suspended he was convicted and fined $1000 and disqualified from driving for six months.
Scott Gowers
A Coffs Harbour taxi driver has faced court after being caught three times using a mobile phone while behind the wheel.
Scott Michael Gowers pleaded guilty in Coffs Harbour Local Court on Tuesday to all three matters.
He told Magistrate Ian Rodgers that the first two incidents were “negligence on my part” and that he didn’t have a phone cradle at the time.
His phone was sitting on the “various taxi equipment” and he “unintentionally came in contact with it”.
Lawyer representing Transport for NSW Tony Cox told the court that, as a taxi driver, Gowers should know better.
See what happened in court here
Gowers was convicted and fined $330 for the two charges of: driver use mobile phone when not permitted (camera detected).
Damon Anthony Laverick
Speeding near a well-known crash black spot west of Coffs Harbour was the first thing that drew police attention to Damon Anthony Laverick.
The 25-year-old was returning to Sapphire Beach on December 28, last year, having been at a birthday party at a Nana Glen property the night before.
Coffs Harbour Local Court heard Laverick had celebrated through the night but had a few hours of sleep from 11am until 2.30pm and something to eat before getting in the car.
He came across police on Bucca Road in a well known black spot for crashes – a fact highlighted in court by police prosecutor Dave Sams.
When they pulled him over, his movements were observed to be sluggish and he appeared nervous, Magistrate Paul McMahon told the court.
“He was unable to follow instructions and became cocky and anxious and uncooperative,” Mr McMahon said as he read from the police facts.
He was convicted and fined $750 for driving with middle range concentration of alcohol - first offence.
He was disqualified from driving for three months and must hold an interlock driver’s licence for the minimum period of three months.
Teagan Lowrie
Representing herself in court on February 7, Teagan Lowrie pleaded guilty to driving with a mid range concentration of alcohol on December 4 last year.
Mr Rodgers told the court the 30-year-old mother had no criminal history and he recognised the importance of a licence in caring for her child and travelling to Toormina for work.
While these factors went in her favour, there were two things he had to consider when sentencing her: the fact she was detected speeding (not during a random stop) and that she was “well over double the legal limit” at the time of the offence.
Ms Lowrie was convicted and fined $550 for driving with a mid range concentration of alcohol – first offence.
She was disqualified from driving for three months and must hold an interlock licence for another three months.
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