Jsen Wintle: Luxury brand consultant caught driving under influence of drugs

A luxury brand consultant who has worked with the likes of Country Road and RM Williams has been caught twice in two weeks driving under the influence of prescription and illicit drugs.

A luxury brand consultant who has worked with the likes of Country Road and RM Williams has been caught driving under the influence of a cocktail of drugs twice in a two week period.

Jsen Max Wintle, 45, pleaded guilty in Tweed Heads Local Court to two counts of driving under the influence of drugs and one count of drive recklessly or furiously or at speed.

According to the police facts multiple witnesses called police regarding Wintle driving all over the roadway on Tweed Coast Road at Pottsville on October 13, 2022.

He appeared to slump over the wheel at times.

Police stopped him and spoke to him where his speech was slow and slurred and his movement sluggish.

A test showed he was under the influence of amphetamines, clonazepam, alprazolam, and GHB at the time.

Just under two weeks later on October 26 a witness called police regarding Wintle driving all over the road in New Brighton headed towards Brunswick Valley Way.

Police found the car driving between 90km/h and 110km/h in both lanes across the Brunswick River in Brunswick Heads and tried to get it to stop.

Within one minute the car pulled off the motorway and onto Brunswick Valley Way.

Police approached and saw him remove his headphones.

Wintle said: “I didn’t realise I was driving all over the road.”

He was seen to have pinpoint pupils, and was unsteady on his feet and his speech was slow.

Police searched the car and found prescription pills in the front glove box.

If asked if he’d taken any medication he said alprazolam, clonazepam, xanax, diazepam and ritalin.

A urine and blood sample showed the presence of clonazepam, alprazolam and GHB.

In written submissions, the defence said Wintle had a number of mental health issues and had little recollection of either event.

According to written defence submissions to court, Wintle ran his own luxury designer brand named “Wintle” whose client list included the likes of Country Road and RM Williams.

The court heard he had completed the traffic offenders program.

Wintle was sentenced to a 12 month community corrections order and was disqualified from driving for one year.