Chinchilla dad drives drunk after seven hour drinking spree
AFTER blowing nearly three times the limit, a Chinchilla dad said he drove drunk to check his car was running properly.
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AFTER drinking heavily for several hours and blowing a BAC nearly three times the limit, a Chinchilla father said he drove drunk just to check his car was running properly.
Brock Leslie Tatum faced Chinchilla Magistrates Court on Thursday, and pleaded guilty to one charge of driving while over the middle alcohol limit.
Police prosecutor senior constable Jodie Tahana said Chinchilla police intercepted Tatum on Windmill Street as he pulled into his garage.
"Police conducted a check on his licence, which revealed it had recently expired … he was issued an infringement notice for that," Snr const Jodie Tahana said.
"He supplied a specimen of breath for a road side test and it indicated over the zero limit, as he had no licence.
"Further analysis revealed a reading of 0.124.
"He has been drinking beer from 5.20pm the previous evening, until 10 minutes before the police intercepted him (at 12.50am).
"He said he just came off two weeks of work and wanted to check his vehicle was running because he was driving to Victoria the next morning."
Snr const Tahana said Tatum was immediately disqualified from driving.
Four character references, and a Queensland Traffic Offenders Programme (QTOP) document was submitted to the court.
Magistrate Tracy Mossop said the QTOP document was the most important and it would reduce Tatum's fine and encourage her to impose a minimal sentence.
"When you drive with that sort of reading you just need to be thankful that you are standing before me here today and still a living breathing human being who can still be father of his children," Ms Mossop said.
Tatum was convicted and fined $300, and disqualified from holding a licence for three months.
No conviction was recorded as it was Tatum's first offence of this nature.
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