Keith Tarapipipi-Kippenberger sentenced in Southport court for mid-range drink driving after NYE cruise
A man who was almost three times the limit when he ran aground during a New Year’s Eve cruise with more than 100 people on board has made bizarre claims in court about how he got there.
Police & Courts
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A skipper who was almost three times the limit when he ran aground during a New Year’s Eve cruise on the Broadwater claims he mistakenly knocked back several Hard Solo cans thinking they were the regular soft drink.
Keith Francis Tamati Tarapipipi-Kippenberger’s vessel was found stranded on a sandbank near Main Beach, with smoke pouring from it and about 120 passengers still on board.
Southport Magistrates Court was told water police had received several reports about the grounded boat – including suspicions its skipper had been drinking.
On-board NYE celebrations were brought to a swift end as police boarded the vessel and began taking crowds of revellers and crew members back to shore. Tarapipipi-Kippenberger later recorded a blood alcohol concentration of 0.149.
Defence lawyer Clancy Robba told the court his client took on boating contracts around FIFO work in Cairns, but would lose significant income if his marine licence was disqualified.
Mr Robba said Tarapipipi-Kippenberger had a few drinks the day prior and on board that night – not realising until later that the “number of soft drinks” he also put away were actually alcoholic Hard Solos.
Using similar branding to the lemon soft drink, Hard Solo comes in at 4.5 per cent alcohol concentration or about 1.3 standard drinks per can.
He said the skipper went back down to the water to ensure his passengers had made it back safely from the stranded boat, which was having engine trouble and got stuck as he was moving to shallower waters.
“He's never done anything like this before – he’s ashamed and embarrassed about the offence,” Mr Robba said.
“I’m instructed it’s a small industry – word has spread and his reputation has been severely damaged. It’s going to be hard for him to find that contract work.”
Mr Robba said the incident was also being investigated by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.
Magistrate Mark Bamberry said he found Tarapipipi-Kippenberger’s story about the booze-fuelled bungle “difficult to believe”.
“It’s not as if you’re on a jetski … you’ve got 120 odd people on board plus your crew, and I’m told you’re drinking Hard Solo and didn’t know the difference,” Mr Bamberry said.
Tarapipipi-Kippenberger pleaded guilty to one charge of mid-range drink driving.
He was fined $2000 and his marine licence was disqualified for three months. No conviction was recorded.
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