Traffic offenders sentenced in Gatton Magistrates Court on April 1, 2025

Excuses were rife in a regional Queensland court as traffic offenders attempted to justify their actions for disobeying the law.

Gatton Magistrates Court saw a number of traffic offenders sentenced on April 1.

A man making a diligent effort for his terminally ill mother was just one of many who received a harsh reality from regional Queensland magistrate for a driving offence.

Another man who would’ve been back on the road in May will now spend the next two years without a licence after his fateful decision to drive instead of walk.

See the list of traffic offenders who appeared in Gatton Magistrates Court on April 1 below.

CONVICTION RECORDED

• Anthony Ian Bird

Bird pleaded guilty to one count of driving while disqualified by court order, having been hit with a seven month suspension in 2024.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Bridie O’Shea told the court Bird was driving along Crescent St in Gatton about 8am on March 6 when police stopped him for a random check.

Further checks by police revealed Bird’s licence was suspended until May.

Defence solicitor Dylan Hans of ATSILS told the court his client was driving to the chemist for medical supplies for his son who had ripped off a toenail and was in distress.

Mr Hans told the court his client felt in the moment there was a sense of urgency and chose to drive instead of walk.

The court was also told the father of eight lived a 10 minute walk from the chemist.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess highlighted Bird’s appalling traffic history and noted his laziness and disrespect for law in his decision to get behind the wheel instead of walking.

“If you disregard the disqualification again you will be at risk of a jail term,” Ms Sturgess said.

Bird was fined $1000 and disqualified from driving for two years.

A conviction was recorded.

• Daniel Paul Baker

Baker’s trip to visit his mother came to an abrupt end when police stopped him on the Warrego Highway at Grantham on January 29 for a random check.

He pleaded guilty to one count of driving while demerit point suspended.

Senior Constable O’Shea told the court Baker admitted to police he was aware he was suspended and that he had no emergent reason for driving.

Duty solicitor James Ryan told the court his client was expecting a baby in a matter of weeks and understood he would be required to call an ambulance.

Magistrate Sturgess stressed to Baker that driving simply isn’t an option.

Baker was fined $400 and disqualified for six months.

A conviction was recorded.

• Duncan John Mcrae

Mcrae pleaded guilty in Gatton Magistrates Court to one count of driving over the general alcohol limit while on his learner’s licence.

The 25-year-old was caught driving on Griffiths St in Toowoomba on December 4, returning a blood alcohol reading of 0.099.

Senior Constable O’Shea told the court a licence check revealed Mcrae was a learner driver.

Duty solicitor James Ryan told the court his client had been drinking the night before and was on his way to deliver medication to his mother, who is terminally ill with cancer.

The court was also told Mcrae was only days away from sitting his provisional licence test when the offending occurred.

Ms Sturgess gave Mcrae a stern warning about his decision to get behind the wheel without a licence and while still intoxicated.

“You don’t have a right to go out and drive, think of yourself as a person who doesn’t have a car and have a think about how they might get around,” Ms Sturgess said.

Ms Sturgess also warned Mcrae how tantalisingly close he was to breaching the middle alcohol limit, noting it would’ve put him in a whole world of pain.

Mcrae informed the court that his licence was his freedom, which earning a swift rebuke from the magistrate who said that was not at all the case.

“You don’t have a driver’s licence, a learner licence doesn’t give you the right to drive around,” Ms Sturgess said.

“You get a learner’s licence by answering 20 questions correctly, you get a provisional licence when you prove you’re a capable driver and you’re not there yet Mr Mcrae.”

Mcrae was fined $500 and disqualified from driving for four months.

A conviction was recorded.

NO CONVICTION RECORDED

• David John

David John pleaded guilty to one count of driving while under the influence exceeding the general limit.

It was John’s driving 50km/h under the speed limit that caught the attention of Laidley police about 11pm on January 18.

Senior Constable O’Shea told the court John told police had consumed two Coronas and was driving to Rosewood after having dropped off a friend.

The court was told a final analysis revealed John had a blood alcohol reading of 0.091.

Ms Sturgess warned John not to get behind the wheel for the next two months or he could face a longer suspension.

John was fined $500 and disqualified from driving for two months.

No conviction was recorded.

Originally published as Traffic offenders sentenced in Gatton Magistrates Court on April 1, 2025