Couple arrested after buying chicken and chips

‘The police don’t forget’: Decision to take a lunch break leads to date with the magistrate.

THE decision to buy chicken and chips for lunch in Mundubbera landed a couple in hot water recently, after warrants dating back nearly 20 years were uncovered by police.

A routine registration check by police on Lyons St on March 6 exposed an unregistered vehicle, driven by a 65-year-old man, and 49-year-old woman from Victoria.

Mundubbera officer in charge Sergeant Dan Clarke alleged the driver was disqualified from driving at the time of the incident.

Upon further checks, police saw the man was wanted on a number of warrants, dating back to 2001-2003.

The 49-year-old woman who was the passenger, was also wanted on a single warrant of unlawfully using a motor vehicle in 1998.

Both offenders were arrested and held in custody to face Hervey Bay Magistrates Court on March 7 in relation to their charges.

The woman was fined $300, and spent one night in the watch-house.

The 65-year old man was remanded in custody to face the magistrate again on March 20, charged with a string of offences.

These included four counts of disqualified driving, three counts of failing to appear on bail, driving an unregistered car, and a traffic compliance offence.

He was sentenced to 12 months' jail, with a parole release date of June 8, to serve a suspended 12-month jail sentence after that period.

Sgt Clarke said the date of the warrants did not make a difference to police.

"The police don't forget," he said.

Originally published as