Wheelchair basketball Paralympian Shelley Cronau caught drink driving twice in one month
A Gold Coast sports star returned a staggering alcohol reading when she was stopped by police leaving a drive-through. Find out the details
Police & Courts
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Former wheelchair basketball star and Paralympian Shelley Cronau has been busted drink driving twice in one month on the northern Gold Coast.
The 38-year-old was leaving the drive-through at McDonalds, Upper Coomera at 11am on December 23 last year, when she was pulled over by police in a black Holden Commodore.
“She was slurring her words,” police prosecutor Gavin Reece told Southport Magistrates Court on Monday, where Cronau pleaded guilty to two charges of drink driving.
“When questioned (by police) she was unable to verbalise what she had been drinking and how much.”
Cronau was taken to Coomera Police Station for a breath test where she returned a reading of 0.216, more than four times the legal limit.
Her licence was suspended and she was issued a notice to appear for driving under the influence.
A fortnight after the McDonalds traffic stop, the Paralympian was caught drink driving again.
On January 5 she crashed her grey Holden vehicle into a centre median strip at about 8.50pm on Days Road, Upper Coomera.
“She’d stated that she swerved her vehicle to avoid a collision with the vehicle in front of her,” Mr Reece told the court.
Cronau was breath tested again and returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.108 and was issued with a second notice to appear for driving under the influence and unlicensed.
She had only recently retired from her successful wheelchair basketball career late last year due to injury and began drinking, defence lawyer David Abrey told the court.
“That seems to have been quite a significant trigger to her mental health beginning to spiral,” Mr Abrey said.
“From these offences it is quite apparent that Miss Cronau did turn to alcohol for at least a brief period of time.”
The court heard Cronau was rendered a paraplegic at 22 when she fell down a flight of stairs and was seriously injured.
Sport and exercise had become a way that she dealt with her depression and anxiety from the traumatic event.
Mr Abrey said his client had given up drinking since being charged.
“Things are looking better,” he said.
“She has just recently found out she’s pregnant and her baby is due in October this year.
“That comes as a complete surprise for her because she was told medically she would never be able to have children.”
Magistrate Dzenita Balic described Cronau’s offending as “significant” but said her early pleas of guilty did demonstrate remorse.
“You couldn’t even actually articulate to the police how much liquor you had,” Magistrate Balic said.
“You must have had a significant amount.
“You must have appreciated that you were in no position to be driving a large piece of machinery.”
Magistrate Balic acknowledge the impact retirement from sport has had on the Paralympian, and the challenges she’s faced since becoming a paraplegic.
“You had this terrible accident,” she said.
“Be that as it may, you have made something outstanding out of it.
“That’s a testament to you and your strength.”
Cronau was ordered to pay $1900 in fines and had her licence suspended for two years.
A conviction was recorded.
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