10 drivers on drugs or drink face Rockhampton court

From crashing their car to doing a burnout as they drove off, these drivers have found themselves making bad decisions while high or after drinking.

Douglas Gordon Pailthorpe, Theresa Maree Baira and Brant Ainsley Lee were busted drink driving and their penalties were handed down in Rockhampton Magistrates Court in January 2024.

One crashed her car, while another was witnessed hopping out of his and taking a swig of alcohol before throwing the bottle in a garden and doing a burnout as he drove off.

They are just two of the escapades that landed 10 drivers over the legal blood alcohol content limit or on drugs in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court.

CONVICTIONS RECORDED

Douglas Gordon Pailthorpe

Pailthorpe, 44 was witnessed hopping out of his white Nissan Navara at a Norman Gardens residence with a bottle of alcohol in his hand.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Caitlin Booker said Pailthorpe drank the alcohol about 4.50pm on December 13, and threw the bottle into the garden.

“The defendant re-enters the driver’s seat of the vehicle, reverses the vehicle and drives off,” she said.

“He performs a burnout on the grass and then drives away.”

Douglas Gordon Pailthorpe, 44.

Police located Pailthorpe at another Norman Gardens address, reeking of alcohol, slurring his words, unsteady on his feet, “highly belligerent” and argumentative, Senior Constable Booker said.

She said he admitted to police he had been drinking alcohol “but presented conflicting versions of events when police questioned him regarding the timeline of events”.

Senior Constable Booker said when Pailthorpe had the breath analyser placed in his mouth, he sucked instead of blowing three times, became more belligerent, and after the last attempt said “I don’t give a f---”.

She said he was then taken to the police station to do a breath analysis test and the results showed he had a blood-alcohol content reading of .107.

Defence lawyer Rebecca Harris said Pailthorpe, a father of three, had been employed by CQ Brick and Blocklaying for the past 18 months after relocating back from Sydney to be near his relatives after relationship breakdown with his children’s mother.

She provided the court with reference letters from Pailthorpe’s boss Ben Hawkes and friend Wayne Lauga.

Ms Harris said Pailthorpe, who is a casual employee working full-time hours, would be subject to an interlock system for 12 months as a result of this offending.

Pailthorpe pleaded guilty to one count of drink driving and one of failing to comply with a police direction to provide a specimen of breath for analysis.

He was fined $850 and disqualified from driving for nine months.

Convictions were recorded.

Kenneth James Brown

Brown, 46, had a blood-alcohol content level of .161 when he crashed into a marked police car on McLaughlin Street, Gracemere, at 12.05am on January 23.

Police prosecutor Clancy Fox told the court on February 6 that Brown’s driver’s licence had been demerit point suspended by the State Penalties Enforcement Agency for three months from January 2.

The father-of-two’s registration had been automatically cancelled in September and the vehicle was not insured.

Defence lawyer Pierre Lammersdorf said his client’s partner died in May 2023 and a week later, his mother died.

He said Brown, who has worked as a labourer for the past seven years, has two sons aged six and 12 that he has in his care.

Brown pleaded guilty to one count each of driving while demerit point suspended, drink driving, driving an unregistered vehicle and driving an uninsured vehicle.

He was fined $1900 and disqualified from driving for 15 months.

Traffic convictions were recorded.

Hayden Alan Collins 

Collins had methamphetamines in his system when he was intercepted driving on Hinchcliff Street, Rockhampton, on August 11.

Police prosecutor Corey O’Connor said police intercepted Collins driving a black sedan about 12.20pm and Collins returned a positive roadside drug test.

He said Collins made admissions to police he had used meth days prior and further test results confirmed meth in his system.

Collins told the court he hadn’t dealt with the death of his father very well and had made “unwise choices”.

Mr O’Connor said there were no prior drug driving convictions on Collins’ traffic record.

Collins pleaded guilty to one count of drug driving and was disqualified from driving for one month, fined $350 and granted a restricted licence for work.

A traffic conviction was recorded.

Theresa Maree Baira

Baira, 46, had a blood-alcohol content reading of .126 when she was intercepted driving on Musgrave Street, Berserker, on November 17.

Mr O’Connor said she told police she had driven from Gladstone.

Theresa Maree Baira, 46.

He said checks revealed Baira’s licence had expired 16 days prior to the intercept.

Defence lawyer Brendan Gimbert said his client, who had casual employment at KFC, ordinarily resided at Yeppoon and had been grieving after the death of a young family member.

He said Baira was, on the day of the intercept, in a domestic violence situation and decided she needed to leave.

Mr Gimbert said the mother-of-two’s eldest child, aged three, has heart issues and may need surgery when he is five years old.

He said she had been immediate disqualified and has been without a licence for the past two months.

Baira pleaded guilty to one count of drink driving and one of unlicensed driving.

She was fined $887 total and disqualified from driving for five months.

Traffic convictions were recorded.

Levi Ruben-Scot Barnicoat

Barnicoat, 26, had marijuana in his system when he was intercepted driving on the Burnett Highway at Bouldercombe on December 20 about 6.15pm.

Senior Constable Booker said Barnicoat, who held a provisional licence at the time, admitted to police he had smoked marijuana the night before.

She said he has three prior drug driving convictions on his traffic record.

Ms Legrady said Barnicoat was recently employed in mechanical work.

He pleaded guilty to one count of drug driving and was fined $1000 and disqualified from driving for six months.

Convictions were recorded.

Lukas Ives

Ives, 28, had meth in his system when he was intercepted driving on Musgrave Street, Berserker, on November 30.

Senior Constable Booker said Ives admitted he had consumed meth days prior to the intercept.

Ms Legrady said Ives receives the Jobseeker payment and seeking employment.

He pleaded guilty to one count of drug driving and was fined $400 and disqualified from driving for two months.

Convictions were recorded.

Tye James Moore 

Moore, 19, had a blood-alcohol content of .085 when he was intercepted by police while parked in the Bay Plaza Yeppoon car park on January 5, 2024, about 11.15pm

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sarah Rowe said Moore told police he had drunk 10 Vodka Cruisers earlier that night in Rockhampton before driving to Yeppoon to see friends.

Moore, who was an apprentice carpenter, pleaded guilty on January 24 in Rockhampton Magistrates Court to the single drink driving charge.

He was fined $500 and disqualified from driving for three months.

A traffic conviction was recorded.

Jasmine Keisha Jade Commollatti 

Commollatti, 33, had a BAC of .106 when she lost control of her car near her home address on Pummell St, Norman Gardens.

Senior Constable Rowe said police responded to a triple-0 call about 6.43am on January 4 about a woman at an address on Pummell St who had caused a disturbance, drove while intoxicated and crashed into a vehicle nearby.

Senior Constable Rowe said at Commollatti’s address, police saw a Mitsubishi Station Wagon parked in the car port that had visible damage to the front bumper bar, bonnet and windscreen, as well as a shattered rear windscreen.

Police had received another call from a motorist earlier that morning at 6.06am regarding the same vehicle swerving all over the road on Moores Creek Rd, Park Avenue.

Senior Constable Rowe said Commollatti told police she had been drinking alcohol and had recently purchased the vehicle.

Police saw black tyre marks on the road a short distance from the address and a small bush on grassland that had been damaged by a vehicle.

Senior Constable Rowe said police formed the belief Commollatti had lost control and collided with the bush earlier that morning.

She said police also found a glass smoking utensil, used to smoke marijuana, on a table in the car port.

Commollatti, who is a mother of four children, pleaded guilty in Rockhampton Magistrates Court on January 24 to not having proper control of a vehicle, drink driving and possessing a bong.

She was fined $900 and disqualified from driving for three months.

Convictions were recorded.

NO CONVICTIONS RECORDED

Brant Ainsley Lee

Lee, 35, had a blood-alcohol content reading of .174 and had been disqualified from driving when he was intercepted in a Toyota station wagon on East Street, Rockhampton, on November 10.

Mr O’Connor said Lee’s four-page traffic record had convictions for drink driving in 2021, 2013, 2009 and 2007.

He said the 2021 was a high-reading.

Mr O’Connor said this time, Lee had been disqualified by a court between February 15, 2022, to November 14, 2023.

Brant Ainsley Lee, 35.

Defence lawyer Samantha Legrady said the qualified tradesman was currently a full-time dad and his seven-month-old son had been diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and his partner has epilepsy.

She said Lee had also lost his job prior to this drink driving offence, was days away from getting his licence back and “lost the plot”.

Lee pleaded guilty to one count of drink driving and one of disqualified driving.

He was disqualified from driving for the next three years and fined $1850.

Patricia Burgess

Burgess, 52, had meth in her system when she was intercepted driving on Musgrave Street, Berserker, at 9.30am on October 29.

Senior Constable Booker said Burgess told police she had taken speed, meth, crack or ice about a month earlier.

She said this was Burgess’s third drug driving offence since 2020, with the last one in November 2022.

The court heard Burgess was on a disability pension because of her mental health conditions.

She pleaded guilty on January 17 to one count of drug driving and was placed on a 12-month probation order and disqualified from driving for six months.

Originally published as 10 drivers on drugs or drink face Rockhampton court