Tureiti Tahana: Gold Coast father avoids jail time after fourth drink driving charge

A father of six has faced court after being found drunk and unconscious behind the wheel – read what happened.

Tureiti Tahana, 37.

A father of six has narrowly escaped jail after being caught drink driving for the fourth time after he was found passed out behind the wheel and more than three times the legal limit.

Tureiti Tahana pleaded guilty in Southport Magistrates Court on Monday to driving while under the influence of alcohol and not holding a licence (having driven unlicensed before) after the incident on December 5.

Tureiti Tahana, 37.

The court was told police responded to calls about “a collapsed male” on Beach Rd, Surfers Paradise.

Prosecutor Qin Lee said police obtained CCTV of Tahana driving a vehicle along the busy stretch where the 37-year-old was later found “unresponsive” and “unconscious” in the driver’s seat.

“Police unsuccessfully attempted to verbally arouse the defendant through an open window before having to physically push and prod (him),” the prosecution stated.

Responding officers noticed “a closed bottle of liquor in the centre console” and that the driver’s side window was “smashed” in the corner.

Ms Lee told the court that police “observed (Tahana) to be extremely slow in movement with bloodshot eyes”.

The driver struggled to “accurately comprehend police instructions” due to his level of intoxication, evident in the “strong smell of liquor” police noticed. Tahana also “fumbled” and dropped his keys while speaking with authorities.

The prosecution said Tahana did not have a valid licence at the time.

A roadside breath test returned a positive result, with the driver blowing 0.155 – more than three times the legal limit.

Tahana appeared unrepresented, blaming his actions on a “tough time in (his) life” and claiming he hadn’t drank for almost three years prior.

The local chippy told the court he’s married with six children, ageing from five to 14-years-old.

Magistrate Deborah Vasta told Tahana to think of them: “Imagine this: you’re sitting at home, the police knock on the door (and say) ‘Tilly’s (his youngest daughter) been hit by a drunk driver as she was crossing a zebra crossing. She’s down at the morgue, can you please come to identify her?’ You look down at the battered, bruised body of your five-year-old who’s been hit”.

“Right now you’re thinking about yourself and how hard your life’s been, how hard is it for the people whose kids are killed by a drunk driver?” the magistrate said.

“I don’t know what’s going on in your life that’s causing you to hit the bottle, but it doesn’t make anything better.”

Magistrate Vasta described Tahana’s traffic history as “disgusting”.

She said taking the risk to drive drunk is “so callous” and advised Tahana “get some help for your drinking problem”.

The magistrate reminded Tahana this was the third “high-level drink driving” offence he’s committed in five years – the fourth in six years – before handing down a three-month jail sentence wholly suspended for 18 months. Tahana was also disqualified from driving for two years.