Drink driving dad Brent McCarron fronts Ipswich Court for backyard crash, burnouts

A drink driving dad’s Wednesday-night burnouts ended with a costly bang, leaving an Ipswich homeowner with thousands of dollars worth of backyard wreckage.

Walloon father-of-two Brent McCarron leaving Ipswich Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. Picture: Nicola McNamara

An Ipswich plumber has been ordered to pay thousands in restitution to a homeowner after he crashed into their backyard and fled the scene.

Walloon father-of-two Brent James Peter McCarron, 27, pleaded guilty in Ipswich Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday to dangerous operation of a vehicle while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance, driving a motor vehicle over the middle alcohol limit, and vehicles on the roads must be registered.

The court heard McCarron drove an unregistered car about 8.30pm at Rea Road, Karalee on May 10.

McCarron had a passenger with him at the time, and his blood alcohol reading was 0.112 per cent, more than double the legal alcohol limit.

Magistrate Robert Walker said McCarron’s offending was “audibly witnessed” by locals.

“These persons heard the vehicle conducting lengthy burnouts, leading into the sound of the vehicle crashing into a fence — as was later discovered, into the backyard of a property,” he said.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Jo Colston said there had been a substantial amount of damage to the property’s fence and retaining wall.’

The prosecution was seeking McCarron pay $7000 in restitution.

Mr Walker said witnesses had recounted seeing McCarron and a male passenger flee the scene.

Police quickly identified McCarron, as the car had been registered under his wife’s name.

Mr Walker said police found McCarron dishevelled, smelling of alcohol, and that he confessed to them he had “f--ked up”.

Walloon father-of-two Brent McCarron leaving Ipswich Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. Picture: Nicola McNamara

Defence barrister Scott Neaves said his client had been drinking alcohol regularly at the time as a coping mechanism.

“That’s something that he’s grateful that he’s now stopped,” Mr Neaves said.

He said his client had completed a Queensland Traffic Offenders Program since his offending and also self-referred to relapse prevention counselling with a drug and alcohol service.

Mr Walker said he accepted McCarron was remorseful and had taken positive steps towards rehabilitation.

“The objective seriousness of the offences lies in the jeopardy of safety – not just you and your passenger, but the residents of the property you crashed into,” Mr Walker said.

“It’s not inconceivable that persons might have been enjoying the backyard on that evening, and one can only contemplate how much worse this might have been.”

McCarron was fined $2000 and ordered to pay an additional $7000 in restitution for the damaged fence and retaining wall.

He was disqualified from driving for six months for the dangerous operation and four months for driving over the middle alcohol limit.

Mr Walker noted this would total around 12 months, including the time McCarron’s licence had already been disqualified.

Convictions were recorded for the traffic offences only.

Originally published as Drink driving dad Brent McCarron fronts Ipswich Court for backyard crash, burnouts