Mackay court sentences for drink, drug, speeding, unlicensed drivers

A young man who drank six cans of Bundaberg rum and cola before crashing into a highway roundabout told police: ‘Just arrest me and get it over with’. He was just one of numerous drunk or drugged drivers to face a Mackay court.

Selfish, potential killers and slow to learn were some of the labels given to drivers who recently faced Mackay Magistrates Court. From a tradie behind the wheel at almost three times the blood alcohol limit to a young adult telling police to “just arrest me and get it over with”, below are offenders who were caught driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, unlicensed, or over the speed limit.

Selfish, potential killers and slow to learn were some of the labels given to drivers who recently faced Mackay Magistrates Court.

From a tradie behind the wheel at almost three times the blood alcohol limit to a young adult telling police to “just arrest me and get it over with”, below are offenders who were caught driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, unlicensed, or over the speed limit.

CONVICTED:

Ted Malcolm Richmond

The court heard Ted Malcolm Richmond returned to using methylamphetamine after his relationship with the mother of his two children dissolved.

Sergeant Beaumont said police officers intercepted Richmond driving along Norris Rd for a licence check about 6.15pm on New Year’s Day.

“(Richmond) appeared nervous and was observed to rearrange the positioning of items in his pocket,” she said.

The North Mackay resident then showed police he had small clip seal bags containing about 1.5g of pure meth, with his saliva revealing cocaine and meth in his system.

Ted Malcolm Richmond was sentenced in Mackay Magistrates Court for drug-driving. Picture: Facebook

The court also heard Richmond was on a suspended licence at the time having incurred a $13,000 SPER debt.

Solicitor Darren Robinson, of Salt Legal, said Richmond owned a own boilermaker’s business and would need clients to collect him while disqualified from driving.

Mr Robinson said the 31 year old was still friendly with his children’s mother but their break-up had broken his five-year abstinence from using meth.

Richmond pleaded guilty to drug-driving, possessing dangerous drugs, possessing utensils or pipes used in connection with a dangerous drug, and driving without a licence.

Ms Hartigan fined him $1000, disqualified his licence for two months, and recorded convictions for all offences.

Bradley James Ward

Mr Dwyer reprimanded Bradley James Ward for his “very selfish” behaviour after he drove at 118km/h on the Peak Downs Highway at Coppabella on November 2.

The court heard the 32-year-old’s pool technician’s driver’s licence had been suspended five months earlier.

Solicitor Sean Gibbs, of Fisher Dore Lawyers, said Ward “ordinarily works very hard” but had forgotten to file a special hardship application for a restricted licence.

Bradley James Ward was sentenced in Mackay Magistrates Court for speeding and unlicensed driving. Picture: Facebook

Mr Dwyer asked the Andergrove resident was the risk of killing someone worth getting home five minutes earlier, labelling his behaviour as “very selfish”.

Pleading guilty to disobeying the speed limit and unlicensed driving because of demerit points, Ward was fined $1000 and his licence was disqualified for six months.

Convictions were recorded.

NO CONVICTIONS RECORDED:

Brendan Charles Camilleri

Brendan Charles Camilleri risked killing someone as he drunk-drove for pain medication after a night of heavy drinking.

Sergeant Hannah Beaumont told Mackay Magistrates Court police officers intercepted Camilleri along Evan St in East Mackay shortly before 2am on December 3.

His secondary breath test returned a blood alcohol concentration of 0.133.

Solicitor Sean Gibbs, of Fisher Dore Lawyers, said Camilleri had drank heavy beers and shots at Hay Point Hotel Motel before catching a courtesy bus to a friend’s home.

Mr Gibbs said Camilleri then drove home to East Mackay as he had “unfortunately” forgotten his medicine for an injury he suffered years earlier while attending Sarina State High School.

Brendan Charles Camilleri was sentenced in Mackay Magistrates Court for drink-driving. Picture: Facebook

Camilleri pleaded guilty to drink-driving which as a result breached the fitter and turner’s suspended sentence he received for drug trafficking in November, 2020.

“(Drink-driving) is extremely dangerous and you are putting the community at risk,” Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan said to Camilleri.

“You could have killed yourself, so be it, but if you kill someone else, you’ve got to deal with that for the rest of your life.”

Camilleri was fined $500, his licence was disqualified for three months, and Ms Hartigan committed his breach to the supreme court.

A conviction was not recorded.

Robert John Albert

Robert John Albert pleaded guilty to drink-driving along Marian Hampden Rd at nearly three times the blood alcohol limit on Boxing Day.

Mackay Magistrates Court heard the 34 year old, whose breath recorded a blood alcohol concentration of 0.144, told police he was drinking beer before getting behind the wheel.

Magistrate Damian Dwyer granted the Bloomsbury resident a restricted work licence from Monday to Friday, and fined him $750.

A conviction was not recorded.

Mitchell Craig Williams

Mr Dwyer told Mitchell Craig Williams to “wake up to (him) self” after the business owner said a big day at work caused him to miss a 60km/h roadworks sign.

The court heard Williams, who at that point had never held a driver’s licence, drove at 96km/h through the Bruce Highway construction zone at Pindi Pindi on December 10.

Eleven days earlier, police caught him driving with a 0.020 BAC at Keperra in the Whitsundays.

Williams pleaded guilty to driving over the no alcohol limit but not over the general limit and holds provision licence, learner licence or unlicensed; speeding; and two counts of driving without a licence.

The Andergrove resident was fined $2000 and his driver’s licence, which he obtained after breaking the law, was disqualified for three months.

No convictions were recorded.

Eli Peter Head

Sergeant Beaumont told the court Eli Peter Head, 37, returned a 0.093 BAC after a random breath test along Queen Elizabeth Dr in Dysart on December 2.

“(Head) initially stated he had two beers but later told police he had four,” Sergeant Beaumont said.

“He was on a probationary licence at the time.”

Pleading guilty to drink-driving, the Hervey Bay-based man was fined $500 and his licence was disqualified for four months.

A conviction was not recorded.

Mark Gregory Macdonald

Prosecutor Ruth Whisker said Mark Gregory Macdonald was found drink-driving during a RBT along Anzac Ave in Marian on January 13.

Ms Whisker said the Marian resident told police he did not realise six Great Northern beer stubbies would push him over the limit to a BAC of 0.07.

The court heard the 53 year old, who worked as a mobile auto electrician on his days off from the mines, had been helping his daughter move house and was driving to pick up food and drinks for the family.

“For an old fella, you’ve got a pretty good traffic history,” Mr Dwyer said, adding the incident was an a “error of judgment”.

Pleading guilty to drink-driving, Macdonald was fined $350 and his licence was disqualified for one month.

A conviction was not recorded.

Joleen Kirsty Hodges

Joleen Kirsty Hodges, 43, had been unlicensed for 17 months when police officers found her behind the wheel of a parked car with the engine running during patrols along Brisbane St on November 27.

Ms Whisker said the Eton resident was detained after a breath test with further tests confirming she had methylamphetamine in her system.

Legal Aid Queensland solicitor Rosemary Varley said the part-time trades assistant had no prior entries for unlicensed driving.

But Mr Dwyer said Hodges had been involved in three traffic incidents since her licence was cancelled on June 17, 2022.

Pleading guilty to drug-driving, and driving while not the holder of a driver’s licence, Hodges was fined $600 and her licence was disqualified for five months.

Brayden James Lavender

Twenty-year-old Brayden James Lavender told police to “just arrest me and get it over with” after drove a car into a highway roundabout.

Ms Whisker said the P-plater crashed a Nissan Micra, mounting the curb on the roundabout at the intersection of the Bruce Highway and Stockroute Rd shortly before 4.30am on January 13.

“When questioned, (Lavender) stated (to police) he’d been driving the now-crashed vehicle to get more alcohol, fully aware he was not in an acceptable state to drive,” Ms Whisker said.

Brayden James Lavender was sentenced in Mackay Magistrates Court for drink-driving.

The court heard the Bakers Creek man had drank six cans of Bundaberg rum and cola before driving, returning a 0.172 BAC during testing at the Mackay Police Station.

The airport worker told Mr Dwyer he had made a “poor decision”, pleading guilty to drink-driving.

He was fined $1050 and his licence was disqualified for 11 months.

A conviction was not recorded.

Jack Thomas Louis

Jack Thomas Louis got on the wrong side of the magistrate when he served up “lost of excuses” and dug himself “a hole” in court.

Ms Whisker said police officers pulled over the 21-year-old Dysart man after their mobile radar detected he was speeding along the Bruce Highway at Koumala on September 30.

Louis told the officers he “was not paying attention to speed” after being clocked doing 116km/h while returning from a camping trip at Cape Palmerston.

The court further heard Louis was unlicensed at the time, having accumulated too many demerit points, and he had two passengers in a ute only allowed to have one.

Mr Dwyer gave Louis an opportunity to “persuade (him) one way or the other” on what licence disqualification to impose.

Louis said he thought it was best he drive as his “mate” was too intoxicated to which Mr Dwyer responded he was “worried about (his) remorse”, further calling him a “slow learner”.

Mr Dwyer also reprimanded him for continuously interrupting and missing a court appearance in November after Louis said he no access to a phone or email to advise the court.

“You’ve got a lot of excuses young fella … and you’ve just dug yourself into a big hole,” Mr Dwyer told him.

“You seem to think that the law only applies to everyone else but you … if you want to know where the trouble is, look in the mirror.”

Pleading guilty to driving while not the holder of a driver’s licence, disobeying the speed limit, and exceeding the maximum number of persons in a vehicle, Louis was fined $1000 and his licence was disqualified for three months.

Convictions were not recorded.

Darcy Aaron Smoje

Darcy Aaron Smoje drank up to five Hard Solos at Cannonvale Hotel on New Year’s Eve before driving.

Prosecutor Leonie Taufa’ao said police officers pulled the P-plater over along Shute Harbour Rd about 8pm.

After returning a 0.02 BAC, the Slade Point resident was taken to Whitsunday Police Station where saliva revealed cocaine and methamphetamines in his system, and the 18 year old declared he possessed cocaine and MDMA tablets.

Darcy Aaron Smoje was sentenced in Mackay Magistrates Court for drink-driving. Picture: Facebook

Lawyer Robert Beamish, of McKays Solicitors, said Smoje moved to Mackay from WA in October for work but he had “struggled to fit in” and was seeing a psychologist for a possible bipolar diagnosis.

Mr Beamish said Smoje was “peer pressured” into driving that night after celebrations in Airlie Beach but he took “full responsibility” for his actions.

Mr Dwyer told Smoje, who pleaded guilty to drink-driving and two counts of possessing dangerous drugs, that “grog and drugs aren’t going to help you”.

He fined him $350, disqualified his licence for three months and placed Smoje on a $450 good behaviour recognisance with a mandatory drug assessment.

Convictions were not recorded.

Originally published as Mackay court sentences for drink, drug, speeding, unlicensed drivers