Melissa Ann Napoline in court for drink driving
A woman more than five times over the limit drove from Glastonbury to Gympie’s busiest shopping centre and was not happy when police woke her up.
Police & Courts
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A concerned resident called the police after an obviously drunk office worker got behind the wheel of a car in Glastonbury and drove all the way into Gympie, a distance of more than 17km on a busy country road.
She was more than five times over the limit at the time.
By the time police found her 40 minutes later she was slumped over her steering wheel of her car in the Central Shopping Centre car park.
Melissa Ann Napoline pleaded guilty in Gympie Magistrates Court on Thursday, November 3, to driving while under the influence of liquor.
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The court heard that police in Glastonbury on another matter received information that a drunk woman had driven away from a house about 3pm on September 11, 2022.
Forty minutes later, it was reported to police Napoline was slumped unconscious over her steering wheel in the Gympie Central Shopping Centre car park.
The engine of her car was still running and two dogs were beside her.
When police arrived they removed the keys from the ignition.
At that point Napoline woke up and was aggressive towards the police, swearing and slurring her words, the court was told.
She was “detained for her own safety” and taken to hospital as she was “quite disorderly in police custody,” police prosecutor Vicki Kennedy-Grills said.
A blood test returned an alcohol level of 0.262 per cent.
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When police spoke to her again on October 15, she initially denied driving, insisting her friend was the culprit.
When she was asked to name her friend, Napoline declined to respond and stated she had not passed out and had not driven after drinking, the court heard.
Napoline told the court she did administration work in the construction industry when she was not awaiting surgery.
She had not consumed alcohol and had attended a private rehabilitation clinic since the incident, she told the court.
Napoline choked back tears when magistrate Chris Callaghan asked her about recording convictions.
“I deserve whatever you give me,” she said.
She was fined $1200 and disqualified from driving for 13 months. Convictions were recorded.
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Originally published as Melissa Ann Napoline in court for drink driving
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