Drink-driving Mackay and Whitsunday locals whose actions endangered our roads
From driving into town for a snack to bogging their car at a country club, here are 19 Mackay and Whitsunday drink-drivers whose actions put the rest of us in danger. See the full list.
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From driving into town for a snack to bogging their car at a country club, Mackay’s magistrates have heard many excuses for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
The Mackay judicial system has condemned the actions of those who unnecessarily put other drivers in danger, with a variety of punishments handed down.
Here are 19 of Mackay and Whitsundays’ drink-drivers named and shamed.
Shania Natalie Pungitore
A P-plater was slammed after she was caught driving erratically while three times the legal blood-alcohol limit.
Police intercepted Shania Natalie Pungitore while she was “swerving on the road” along Glenpark St in North Mackay on July 7.
Prosecutor Chelsea Pearson said Pungitore had driven from Andergrove Tavern and returned a 0.14 blood alcohol concentration.
Magistrate Damien Dwyer said Pungitore was “not mature enough”.
“It’s almost three times the limit available to someone on an open licence and you’re on a probationary licence,” he said.
“What part of zero don’t you understand?
“You are simply not mature enough to have a driver’s licence, you are 18 years of age and you’ve already lost 10 points.”
The 18 year old pleaded guilty to drink-driving, was fined $1420 and had her licence disqualified for nine months.
A conviction was recorded.
Ryan Sammual White
A Sarina man was on probation when he was caught driving from Mackay Harbour to Bakers Creek while four times the legal limit.
Ryan Sammual White, 21, was stopped on January 31, 2020, and returned a 0.221 BAC.
He had consumed about 12 stubbies of beer during a day of fishing.
Sarina Magistrates Court heard while White had not been charged for any driving-related crimes, all of his previous charges were alcohol-related.
He was fined $2000 and disqualified from driving for 18 months after he pleaded guilty to drink-driving.
A conviction was recorded.
Travis Leslie Garland
Barely six hours after drunkenly assaulting a worker at a popular Mackay footy club, Travis Leslie Garland bogged his car at a nearby country club.
Mackay Magistrates Court heard on April 27, 2021, Garland had been pestering a female patron, which led to the senior duty manager Luke Turner asking him to leave.
Prosecutor Harry Coburn said Garland became abusive, and called him “f***ing gay c***” and pushed over a sign.
Garland punched Mr Turner twice in the face before fleeing the venue.
He then bogged his car drink-driving at Harrup Park Country Club about 11.29pm.
The 46 year old pleaded guilty to common assault and failing to provide a specimen of breath.
Refusal to provide a specimen of breath results in a high-range drink driving charge.
Garland was sentenced to 12 months probation for the common assault charge, and was disqualified from driving for six months.
No conviction was recorded.
Georgia Gemma King
A Mackay nursing student was slammed for her “disturbing” behaviour after returning a 0.172 BAC.
Georgia Gemma King had eight drinks before getting behind the wheel for a snack in the early hours of April 2.
Police found King sitting beside her car, which had a flat tyre, at 1.25am along Broadsound Street in Paget.
Prosecutor Harry Coburn said King drank a six-pack of beer as well as two flutes of wine over five hours after returning to her Walkerston home from work.
Acting Magistrate John Aberdeen said if King had kept driving something “tragically worse” could have occurred.
“You drove from Walkerston into town, along the Peak Downs Highway, that is a major thoroughfare,” he said.
“It is disturbing that you drove that distance with a reading of this nature.”
King, who pleaded guilty to high-range drink-driving, was fined $1500 and her licence was disqualified for seven months.
A conviction was recorded.
Michael William Brownsey
Despite a clean driving history, Michael William Brownsey was almost five times the legal limit when he crashed his car.
The 20 year old flipped the ute, damaging it beyond repair, as well as causing significant damage to a guard rail.
Mackay Magistrates Court heard Brownsey had his last drink about 12.30am on November 8, 2020, about half an hour before the crash on the Bruce Highway.
He returned a 0.236 BAC.
Brownsey pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol.
He was fined $1500 and ordered to pay $4932 restitution for the damaged guard rail, and was disqualified from driving for 14 months.
No conviction was recorded.
Iyas Z Shaheen
A restaurateur in Airlie Beach returned a 0.198 BAC after consuming about 10 drinks before driving.
Iyas Z Shaheen was stopped for a breath test on Shute Harbour Road in Airlie Beach about 3.25am on May 15, 2021.
He told police he had been drinking whisky and vodka with mixers, and had consumed about 10 drinks between 6pm and 11pm.
Shaheen had already received a suspended licence for drink-driving in 2019, when he refused a random breath test by police officers.
He had pulled into his driveway when police approached him and Shaheen told officers they had “no right to be on his property”.
Shaheen pleaded guilty to drink-driving and obstructing a police officer in 2019.
He was fined $150 for obstructing a police officer, and $800 for drink-driving and disqualified from driving for 10 months.
Magistrate James Morton fined Shaheen $1200 and his licence was disqualified for nine months.
A conviction was recorded.
Kyle Leslie Robertson Brummell
An unlicensed Mackay man drove an uninsured motorbike while he was more than three times the legal limit.
Kyle Leslie Robertson Brummell tried to outrun police when they attempted to intercept his bike on High Street in August 2020.
He dumped his motorbike and tried to jump a fence into a private property, but police still apprehended him.
He returned a 0.174 BAC, and pleaded guilty to four charges including drink-driving.
Brummell was fined $1946 and his licence was suspended for 10 months.
No conviction was recorded.
Ryan Lee Kurtz
The enticing temptation of winning another payday has cost Ryan Lee Kurtz himself a pay cheque.
Kurtz had won $2500 the week before and wanted to have another punt, but had about six bourbons before driving.
He recorded a 0.157 BAC when he was stopped by police at about 12.54am on March 5, 2021.
Kurtz pleaded guilty to driving under the influence, and the court heard he was employed in a full-time role and would suffer if his licence was disqualified.
Kurtz was fined $1420 and disqualified for 10 months.
A conviction was recorded.
Debra Dowden
A Dolphin Heads mother claimed she crashed her car because she was upset the man she was seeing locked himself in another woman’s room.
Debra Dowden had a 0.195 BAC when she crashed her Holden Commodore on May 19, 2021.
Despite being almost four times the legal limit, Dowden said she crashed because she was changing the radio station.
She said she was “upset” the man she was seeing had gone to another woman’s room at a hotel.
“I was at the resort because I was actually seeing a guy and he locked himself in another woman’s room,” she said.
“When I knocked on the room door, they ignored me.”
Dowden pleaded guilty to drink-driving and careless driving, and was sentenced to 12 months probation and 10 months suspended licence for these and other charges.
A conviction was recorded.
Kelvin James Prosser
Kelvin James Prosser was stopped on Bridge Road on March 14, 2021 at about 3.50am.
He returned a 0.161 BAC.
Mackay Magistrates Court heard there had been difficulties with a nearby household and Prosser drove about four to five blocks to look for his wife.
When her case was mentioned in court on the same day it was revealed she had been in the car at the time he was driving.
Prosser pleaded guilty to drink-driving, and was fined $2600 and disqualified from driving for 16 months.
A conviction was recorded.
Erin Alexander Laycock
A service station sandwich was a Mackay nursing student’s undoing when she was caught driving more than four times over the legal limit.
Erin Alexander Laycock crashed her Nissan X-Trail on Barnes Creek Road on January 13, 2021, on the way to buy a snack.
A rear tyre came loose on the vehicle, which led to the crash.
The 30-year-old mother of two blew 0.215 BAC after police arrived to the scene.
Laycock pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of liquor, and was fined $1200 and disqualified from driving for six months.
No conviction was recorded.
Gus William Ward
A P-plater crashed his $32,000 Landcruiser after a drinking session at his friend’s house.
Gus William Ward, 19, veered off the Bruce Highway and down the embankment at 5am on April 2, 2021.
The 19 year old blew 0.145 BAC after the incident and paramedics took him to Proserpine Hospital.
Ward pleaded guilty to drink-driving and was fined $1500 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.
He avoided serious injury in the crash that wrote off his car.
A conviction was recorded.
Jim De Leer
When Jim De Leer crashed his car 20 metres into the Eimeo mangroves he blew nearly six times the legal blood alcohol limit on the roadside.
Prosecutor David Epstein said De Leer had been driving west on Shann St when he went straight through the Mango Ave and Eimeo Rd intersection, down an embankment and stopped about 20 metres into the mangroves.
De Leer claims being a diabetic lowered his blood sugar levels, which may have caused him to black out at the time of the crash on June 2, 2021.
The initial roadside test returned a 0.294 BAC at 8.10am.
He pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol.
De Leer was fined $2120 and disqualified from driving for 14 months.
A conviction was not recorded.
Richard Anthony Rawlins
It was certainly a rude awakening for Richard Anthony Rawlins when police approached him.
Rawlings was passed out in his car after reversing into a fence.
When police woke Rawlins, he was unable to unlock or wind down the window for about a minute.
Rawlins returned a 0.215 BAC, which is more than four times the legal limit.
He told police he had been drinking heavy beers and vodka, and pleaded guilty to being in charge of a motor vehicle while under the influence.
He was fined $2120 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.
A conviction was not recorded.
Jose Labinghisa Madlangsakay
A Mackay man was “unsteady on his feet” after police intercepted his vehicle on East Gordon Street, East Mackay, at 1.55am on March 28, 2021.
Madlangsakay blew 0.125 BAC, more than two times the legal limit, and admitted to drinking three to four beers before driving.
Madlangsakay told the court he had taken medication before drinking, which had “boosted up (his) alcohol level”.
He pleaded guilty to drink-driving, was fined $750, had his licence disqualified for four months, and had a conviction recorded.
Nicolas Luke Wilhelmi
A 26-year-old man was more than twice the legal limit when he was stopped for a breath test.
Nicolas Luke Wilhelmi was driving on Mackay Eungella Road when he was pulled over for a roadside test about 11pm on July 10.
He returned a 0.117 BAC.
Wilhelmi pleaded guilty mid-range drink driving, was fined $935 and was disqualified from driving for four months.
A conviction was not recorded.
Epeneri Bainmoli William
A P-Plater had six beers and six pre-mixed rums before he was stopped by police for driving erratically on Shakespeare Street.
Epeneri Bainmoli William had a 0.109 BAC, and pleaded guilty for drink-driving on March 22, 2021.
William was fined $1065 and was disqualified from driving for six months.
A conviction was not recorded.
Conrado Rodrigues Medeiros
An unsecured load in his ute was Conrado Rodrigues Medeiros’ undoing as he drove to work after five bourbon shots.
Police pulled the bartender on November 2, 2019 after seeing items falling from the tray and gave him a breath test.
Medeiros recorded a 0.197 BAC; almost four times the legal limit.
He pleaded guilty to drink-driving, was fined $1950 and disqualified from driving for 18 months.
A conviction was recorded.
Deon Wesley Ryan
A Mackay-based tradesman who worked for an award-winning building and construction company was caught leaving a Moranbah pub’s carpark over the limit.
Police stopped Deon Wesley Ryan leaving Black Nugget Hotel and he returned a 0.137 BAC on January 28, 2021.
The father-of-two pleaded guilty to medium-range drink-driving, was fined $900 and disqualified from driving for four months.
A conviction was recorded.
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