Drink drivers, drugs and assault sentences from Southport Magistrates Court
A bricklayer who drove without his permitted interlock system was caught with alcohol in his system.
Police & Courts
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A man is sentenced for stealing a credit card and $500 in 2010 and a mum is fined for driving her daughter to a vaccine clinic without a licence.
More from Southport Magistrates Court this week:
Mitchell Thomas Eglington
A bricklayer was caught by police without a permitted interlock system in his car and alcohol in his system.
A previous driving offence meant Mitchell Thomas Eglington was unable to drive with any alcohol in his system and an interlock system had to be on his car.
The Southport Magistrate Court was told on Tuesday that during a routine check-up for the interlock system, Eglington was told the wrong design was put on his car and he’d needed to purchase another one.
Eglington had paid $600 for his first interlock and was told he’d be required to pay a further $800 for the new device.
His old system was taken off his car.
The court was told Eglington did not purchase the new device and was pulled over by police on February 14 in Palm Beach.
He recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.047 after drinking the night before.
Magistrate Grace Kahlert fined Eglington $700 and suspended him from holding a driver’s licence for six months.
No conviction was recorded.
Craig Paul Cook
A man has been sentenced 12 years after stealing money and a credit card from a woman he once lived with.
The woman and her partner let Craig Paul Cook stay with them in 2010, but when the then 19-year-old was asked to leave, he stole her credit card.
The Southport Magistrate Court was told on Tuesday that Cook used the credit card on February 14, 2010 to withdraw $500.
The money was used for food and towels.
Cook told police of his crime a month later but didn’t plead guilty in court until Tuesday.
Magistrate Grace Kahlert sentenced Cook to a $300 good behaviour bond for 12 months.
No conviction was recorded.
Joanne Hargraves
A Gold Coast mother drove while suspended to get her daughter vaccinated, a court has heard.
Joanne Hargraves was caught driving on January 17 while without a licence due to running out of demerit points.
The Southport Magistrate Court was told on Tuesday that the 48-year-old was driving her daughter to get her second Covid-19 vaccination, so she could keep her retail job.
Hargraves described the decision as “stupid”.
Magistrate Grace Kahlert fined Hargraves $200 and suspended her from holding a licence for six months.
Sean Terence De Vorms
A lineworker says he didn’t know a man he put in a headlock and threw to the ground during a scuffle was a police officer – even though he was in uniform.
Once things had settled down, police asked Sean Terence De Vorms if he knew he attacked a cop.
He replied: “I don’t know bro, shit was happening. I probably did it, I’m sorry.”
The Southport Magistrate Court was told on Monday that De Vorms assaulted the officer during an altercation between two groups outside a hotel.
The lineworker was staying at the hotel for his job with an energy company.
After a few drinks with work colleagues on November 11 last year the group headed back to its accommodation.
A fight broke out at 2.30am between the group and other men.
A police officer pushed past De Vorms to try and break up the fight.
The 44-year-old put the officer in a headlock and threw him to the ground. It was caught on CCTV.
De Vorms, who had already paid a $413 fine for public nuisance, was fined a further $600 by Magistrate Mark Howden.
No conviction was recorded.
Rachael Marie Johnstone
A Gold Coast mother blew three times the legal blood-alcohol limit after having six glasses of wine.
Rachael Marie Johnstone was caught drink-driving in Mudgeeraba on February 23. She recorded a reading of 0.151.
The Southport Magistrate Court heard on Monday that the 43-year-old had drunk six glasses of wine over eight hours.
The mother-of-three was fined $500 by Magistrate Mark Howden and suspended from driving for six months.
No conviction was recorded.
Rita Aoun
A Canberra woman holidaying on the Gold Coast harassed a performer and was caught with drugs on separate visits.
Rita Aoun assaulted a young female music performer in Surfers Paradise on March 20 last year.
The Southport Magistrate Court heard the 31-year-old was trying to grab the mic off the performer on Cavill Avenue. She pushed over a man who tried to help the musician.
The incident was caught on footage by a member of the public.
On February 27, Aoun was caught in Surfers Paradise with 0.46g of cannabis.
Magistrate Mark Howden fined Aoun $600 altogether, with no conviction recorded.
Louann Stokes
A Gold Coast woman was hiding meth and a glass pipe in her sunglasses case, a court has heard.
Louann Stokes’ Nerang property was searched by police on January 14.
The Southport Magistrate Court was told Stokes was sitting on the couch when police entered at 2pm.
A glass pipe and a clipsal bag was found in a sunglasses case nearby containing methamphetamines.
Magistrate Mark Howden fined Stokes $300. A conviction was recorded.
Jeremiah Levi Bellerose
A father was three times over the limit when he ran over witches hats in Surfers Paradise on February 12.
Police were called to a road works site after Jeremiah Levi Bellerose, 31, collected the hats at 1.55am.
The father of four recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.150.
Bellerose told police he had consumed six schooners of Asahi beer.
Magistrate Mark Howden fined Bellerose $500 and suspended him from driving for six months.
No conviction was recorded.
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