Kylie Jane Bastos: Former Griffith St Larder owner guilty of high-range drink-driving

A Gold Coast woman who formerly owned a popular Coolangatta brunch spot was nearly three and a half times the legal blood-alcohol limit when she got behind the wheel, a court has heard.

Mermaid Beach woman Kylie Jane Bastos, 51. Picture: Facebook

The former owner of a popular Coolangatta cafe has pleaded guilty to a bizarre high-range drink-drive, delivering herself straight into the arms of officers when she drove herself directly to the police station to report a fight with her son.

Mermaid Beach woman Kylie Jane Bastos, 51, appeared in Southport Magistrate Court on Tuesday, where she pleaded guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of liquor on March 22 this year at Philip Ave, Broadbeach.

Police prosecutor Harrison Yavuzer told the court Bastos attended Broadbeach Police Station about 8pm regarding another matter.

Broadbeach Police Station. Picture: Jerad Williams

Officers noted her glassy eyes and the smell of liquor on her, and detained her for a breath analysis, which revealed a reading of 0.173 per cent – almost three and a half times the legal blood-alcohol limit.

This was the second time in less than a year she had fronted the courts for drink-driving, with the court told she pleaded guilty in the Brisbane Magistrates Court last September to a charge of driving over the general alcohol limit, for which no convictions was recorded.

Defence lawyer Abby Hawkins told the court her client, a single mother of two teenage children and who is currently unable to work due to a diagnosis of cirrhosis of the liver, got into an argument with her son about his dog.

About 2pm, he became “violent” and made threats to Bastos’ life, Ms Hawkins said, leading her client to call triple-0 (Bastos’ son is not charged with any offences).

However, according to Ms Hawkins, no police response eventuated, and her client began drinking while she waited. Bastos’ son remained in the house, having calmed down, but was separated from his mother.

Bastos accepted the decision to drink was not a “healthy coping mechanism”, and Ms Hawkins noted her client was currently sober and awaiting a place in a rehabilitation facility.

Ms Hawkins added that her client didn’t feel overly affected by alcohol when she drove to the police station, which was five or six minutes away from her residence.

According to prior reporting, Bastos and her husband Dennis Bastos, with whom she is now separated, moved to the Gold Coast from their native Melbourne in 2016.

Upon arriving in the city they purchased popular Coolangatta noshery Griffith Street Larder, which remains in the ownership of Dennis, according to corporate records.

Griffith Sreet Larder, which Bastos formerly owned alongside her ex-husband Dennis. Picture: Jerad Williams.

The pair previously owned and operated Collingwood’s Cambridge Cafe for nine years.

Magistrate Steve Wettenhall said, in light of the fact the warring mother and son remained in the same dwelling together for hours after the dispute, it appeared the situation was not so dire it would justify driving at such a high blood-alcohol level.

He fined her $1050 and disqualified her from driving for seven months, but spared her a conviction.

Originally published as Kylie Jane Bastos: Former Griffith St Larder owner guilty of high-range drink-driving