Elaine Larames Selwood, 47, assaults police officer after potentially deadly drink drive

A court has heard an assistant aged care nurse with a history of drink-driving has faced court charged with assaulting a police officer and driving while under the influence of liquor after driving through a group of cyclists while drunk.

An assistant aged care nurse with a history of drink driving has been told she was lucky not to have killed someone after driving through a group of cyclists while stinking drunk.

Elaine Larames Selwood, 47, of Hemmant told Wynnum Magistrates Court on Monday she woke up in a police holding cell and had no idea how she got there after her “very disturbing” offending.

Appearing at Wynnum Magistrates Court, the aged care assistant nurse from Papua New Guinea pleaded guilty to assaulting a police officer, driving while under the influence of liquor and driving unlicensed.

The court heard an unlicensed Selwood on August 8 sent a group of five cyclists walking across a pedestrian crossing at 6.20am in Wynnum West scattering when she drove through them.

Police were called and while one of the cyclists was giving a witness statement Selwood pushed the officer with two hands on the chest and was summarily arrested, according to police.

None of the cyclists were injured.

The court heard tests would confirm she had a blood-alcohol reading of 0.244 per cent – just shy of five times over the alcohol limit.

A sordid driving history only aggravated her offending.

The court heard Selwood had previously driven with a reading of 0.09 per cent in 2004 and 0.141 per cent in 2008.

Due to the escalating nature of her offending and the very high reading, a police prosecutor submitted that a three-month jail term would be just, given the risk to the community.

Defence solicitor Sarah Pascoe said her client had woken up with no recall of the incident in the police watchouse and was incredibly embarrassed and remorseful.

Ms Pascoe noted Selwood, a mother of four, had no criminal history and had been under significant stress at the time.

The court heard the defendant’s father had been seriously ill at the time in Papua New Guinea and her inability to be by his side during our then lockdown had caused her great distress.

An emotional Selwood told the court she turns to alcohol when dealing with issues and had been on heart medication for an underlying health condition.

“It is wrong; I am embarrassed and I feel stupid,” she said.

The explanation did little to quell Magistrate Zachary Sarra’s outrage.

“You are lucky you are not charged with reckless driving causing death,” Mr Sarra said.

“But for the grace of god you didn’t kill someone.”

Mr Sarra noted the “very disturbing” offending was particularly galling given her clinical background.

Selwood was sentenced to two years’ probation and disqualified from driving for a further nine months.

She was further fined $600 and ordered to pay $500 in restitution to the officer she assaulted.

Selwood was spared a criminal conviction but had a traffic conviction recorded.

Originally published as Elaine Larames Selwood, 47, assaults police officer after potentially deadly drink drive