NAMED AND SHAMED: Gold Coast drivers caught under the influence sentenced in Southport Magistrate Court
One person drove to play the pokies, while another was caught almost over three times the limit - they’re the Gold Coast motorists caught drink and drug driving. SEE THEM NAMED AND SHAMED
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Each week a number of people plead guilty to driving under the influence in Southport Magistrate Court.
Here are some who were sentenced in the last week.
Conviction
Quentan Andrew Adams
A Victorian man who was driving his motorbike through the Gold Coast was caught with drugs in his system.
Quentan Andrew Adams pleaded guilty over the phone to driving with drugs present in his system in Southport Magistrate Court on Monday.
Adams was approached by police near a service station on Ashmore Rd, Molendinar on August 11, 2018.
He was described by police to be grinding his jaw, sweating and acting erratically when they saw him at about 5am.
Adams was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital by paramedics under police request and was tested for drugs at about 6.30am on the same day.
Results revealed he had 0.03mm of amphetamine and 0.26mm of methamphetamine in his system.
Adams’ lawyer said he was driving back to Victoria to show his girlfriend his new motorbike.
The lawyer said Adams had not taken drugs the night police saw him and he had slept after taking the substances.
Adams thought they were out of his system when he started driving, according to his lawyer.
The 37-year-old was disqualified from driving for one month by Magistrate Catherine Pirie and fined $600.
Non Convictions
Carl Leonard Bellingham
A Gold Coast man has had to return to the city after being disqualified from driving for six months.
Carl Leonard Bellingham pleaded guilty to driving over the legal alcohol limit in Southport Magistrate Court on Monday.
Police pulled him over on August 2 in Cannonvale in the Mackay district region at 11.30pm.
He was taken to the local police station where he was retested and recorded a reading of 0.063.
Bellingham’s lawyer said the 26-year-old had four glasses of red wine across five hours before getting in his car.
He didn’t think he’d be over the limit, which proved to be wrong.
The construction worker needed to drive to his previous job, so a close friend has employed him to work on the Gold Coast during his driving ban.
He was given a $750 fine by Magistrate Catherine Pirie and was disqualified from driving for six months.
Elly Marie Hohaia
A Gold Coast woman was caught over the legal alcohol limit when she was driving to the pub to play the pokies.
Elly Marie Hohaia pleaded guilty to driving over the alcohol limit in Southport Magistrates Court on Monday.
Police could smell alcohol on Hohaia when they pulled her over just after 3am on August 18 driving along Dreamworld Parkway in Coomera.
Hohaia told officers she was having trouble sleeping and was going to the Boathouse Tavern in Coomera to play the pokies.
She said she had a couple of wines before driving.
Hohaia recorded over the legal limit at the scene and recorded a reading of 0.106 when she was retested at the Coomera police station.
An emotional Hohaia said in court she was going through a tough time and had received bad news leading up to the incident.
The personal carer has been unable to work since losing her license from the incident.
She received a three month disqualification from driving by Magistrate Catherine Pirie and a $750 fine.
Belinda Jean Dunn
A woman was caught on the Gold Coast almost three-times the legal alcohol limit while driving.
Belinda Jean Dunn pleaded guilty to driving over the legal alcohol limit in Southport Magistrate Court last Friday (September 3).
Just after midnight on August 21, police attended a call about a female making a disturbance at a location on the Gold Coast Highway.
Upon arrival the woman was in their car.
Police said the woman was unsteady on her feet when getting out of the vehicle.
She recorded a reading of 0.141.
Dunn said in court she misses driving and regrets her actions.
Magistrate Pamela Dowse said the actions of Dunn were “dangerous” and disqualified her from driving for six months and fined her $700.
Shane Graham Oliver
A man who was caught drink driving on the Gold Coast had his hearing adjourned so he could drive home.
Shane Graham Oliver pleaded guilty to driving over the alcohol limit in Southport Magistrate Court last Wednesday (September 1).
He was caught with a reading of 0.096 when pulled over by police in Arundel on October 24, 2020.
The Ipswich resident said he works an hour and a half away from his home.
He had a demerit point suspension in January making him unable to apply for a working license.
Oliver was sentenced to a $500 fine and was suspended from driving for two months.
Following the sentence Oliver asked if he could drive home, which was not allowed.
The case was adjourned by Magistrate Pamela Dowse for September 15 at Ipswich Magistrate Court to allow Oliver to drive home.
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