Full list: Toowoomba drug or drink drivers sentenced in September 2024

From an event manager caught with meth in her saliva, to a student caught three times the limit with a wine in her hand, here’s a list of people who lost their licence in court this month.

Drink drug driver list Toowoomba, Sep 2024.

Multiple Toowoomba drivers lost their licence this week after pleading guilty to a drink or drug driving charge before Toowoomba Magistrates Court this week.

By naming the offenders, The Toowoomba Chronicle and Queensland Police Service are joining forces to tackle the scourge of drink and drug driving across the vast region to improve the safety of all road users.

While many others fronted court on pending drink and drug driving charges, here’s a list of those who were sentenced:

Conviction recorded

Adhieu Deng

At Middle Ridge on June 29, a Toowoomba student was caught not only driving under the influence, but also drinking wine while behind the wheel.

Adhieu Deng fronted Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Friday, September 13, and pleaded guilty to driving under the influence with no licence while drinking liquor.

The court heard Deng came to the attention of patrolling officers at 1.30am because she was slowly driving along Wood Dr without her headlights on.

Officers spotted an empty wine bottle, which the woman said she had decanted into a water bottle so she could drink more easily.

The 20-year-old, who had no criminal history, returned a BAC of 0.189.

She was fined $1200 and disqualified from driving for eight months.

Convictions were recorded.

Katrina Eames

Toowoomba woman Katrina Eames.

The event manager of a Toowoomba establishment pleaded guilty to her third drug driving charge after she was caught driving on Hume Street on May 17, with meth in her saliva.

Katrina Joy Eames told police, and the court, she hadn’t taken any drugs and she wasn’t sure why she tested positive because she had her drug problem under control.

The court was told police intercepted Eames’ Holden before 12am, and was detained for a second test after returning a positive reading on the roadside test.

Police prosecutor Nicholas Pratt said given Eames had two prior convictions of drug driving on her seven page traffic history, she was getting to the point of probation rather than fines, which would provide support for her drug use.

Eames told acting magistrate Robert Turra that she decided to drive after “having another taste” of ice.

The magistrate said it was up to her if she wanted to seek help to remain clean.

“It’s hard to do it alone, you have to have good support,” he said.

The Toowoomba court house.

The court was told Eames’ SPER debt was in excess of $5000, however she was paying it off through a payment plan.

Eames pleaded guilty to driving with drugs in her system at the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Thursday, September 12.

She was fined $500 and disqualified from driving for six months, which Mr Turra noted would be onerous on the working mother.

A conviction was recorded.

Jason White

A Toowoomba man lost his job after he was caught driving with meth in his system on May 22, along Holberton St in Toowoomba.

Jason Rodger White told the court he learnt his lesson and he was keen to get his life back on track after losing his job.

The court was told White, who had previous drug driving charges, returned a positive roadside reading after a random intercept.

White pleaded guilty to driving with drugs in his system at the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Thursday, September 12, and was fined $500 and disqualified from driving for one month.

A conviction was recorded.

Joel Dixon

Joel Dixon.

A working Darling Downs father was disqualified from driving for three months after he was caught driving with THC in his system on March 9.

Joel Steven Dixon returned a positive roadside reading to cannabis during a RBT police operation on Greenwattle St, Toowoomba.

The FIFO tradesman told the court he made a “silly” decision.

Dixon pleaded guilty to driving with drugs in his system at the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Thursday, September 12, and was fined $400 and disqualified from driving for three months.

He also pleaded guilty to failing to appear at court in May.

Convictions were recorded.

Reanna Washington

Reanna Jay Cornelis-Washington.

A Toowoomba woman was brought back before the courts for drug charges after she was caught speeding with meth in her system on a suspended licence.

Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told officers intercepted Reanna Jay Cornelis-Washington speeding along West St in Toowoomba on July 6, where she returned a positive roadside reading for meth and cannabis.

A month later when police went to a Mount Lofty address to make inquiries about an unrelated matter, officers spotted a bong and a small amount of cannabis sitting on a kitchen bench.

Washington pleaded guilty to drug driving on a SPER suspended P-plate licence, and possessing drugs and drug utensils, before the court on Wednesday, September 11.

The 29-year-old, who had a minor history relating to drug offences, was disqualified from driving for nine months and fined $800.

Convictions were recorded.

No conviction recorded

Logan Searle

A Toowoomba bricklayer was caught driving with meth in his system on two occasions in 2024.

Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told on Thursday, September 12, at the time of the offences Logan Lane Searle was living in his car after being kicked out by his sister.

Searle also faced charges relating to items found in his car which included drug utensils, a knife, and 1.7g of ice.

The court was told Searle was first pulled over and returned a positive roadside reading in Toowoomba in May and again in June.

Serle had no criminal history.

Acting magistrate Turra says the courts often saw cases like Searle, where a person wouldn’t ordinarily come to the attention of police or the court if they weren’t doing ice.

“It will control you – you won’t control it,” he said.

“It eats away at the person you are.

“It also erodes your personal relationships and ability to work … all you’re concerned about is getting your next hit – I don’t know if that is the stage where it’s at for you (yet).”

“If you’re not careful you will most certainly find yourself before the courts, at the very least.”

Searle pleaded guilty to two charges of driving with a drug in his system, and other drug and traffic offences including drug possession, drug utensil possession, and driving an uninsured and unregistered car.

He was sentenced to a six month probation order, fined $600, and disqualified from driving for three months.

No convictions were recorded given Searle’s lack of criminal history.

Originally published as Full list: Toowoomba drug or drink drivers sentenced in September 2024