CQ teacher Kimberley Daniel Caldwell apologises for .143 drink-driving offence

A Central Queensland teacher, who is heavily involved in the community, has made a passionate expression of remorse for his huge drink driving mistake.

A Central Queensland teacher has made a passionate expression of remorse for his drink-driving blunder.

Kimberley Daniel Caldwell, 32, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on October 14 to the offence after he blew a reading close to three times the legal limit (0.143) on the Scenic Highway on September 26.

Caldwell, representing himself in court, stood in front of Magistrate Jason Schubert and delivered an apology which was lengthy and clearly genuine, as was subsequently noted by the magistrate.

“Your Honour, firstly I’d like to apologise to the community for driving intoxicated, and I’d like to thank the officers in person... on the evening for taking care of me,” Caldwell said.

“I had two games of cricket earlier and I was dehydrated and suffering sunstroke.”

Caldwell said he was “deeply concerned” about losing his driver’s licence for a long period as he required it for work as an Indigenous community research and liaison officer for a not-for-profit charity, and for family responsibilities.

He said he was also a qualified school teacher.

In his role, Caldwell said he commuted to remote communities in New South Wales and Queensland.

“Communities I project manage are still in a lockdown period, and this is likely to finish at the start of next year,” he said.

Caldwell told the court his father, a Byfield resident, suffered from mental health conditions, bipolar and diabetes.

“I regularly drive out to him to supply him with food and medication, and to check on him.”

Caldwell’s mother died in 2008 and his adopted father still lives in New South Wales and at age 84, he was starting to have some health concerns.

Caldwell also told the court that another family member was due to be released from prison soon and he may return to NSW to support her as she transitions back into her life.

He further added: “My brother has been homeless and suffers schizophrenia for 15-plus years and is addicted to ice and meth.

“I left Sydney to start my new life in Queensland away from him.”

Caldwell went on to say that he was a community-orientated person who volunteered as a community cricket coach in Yeppoon, and was a first-grade captain among other things including studying a Masters degree and doing work in the Woorabinda community.

“Your Honour, I understand my licence is a privilege, and not a right,” he said.

“While I understand that I will lose my licence today, Your Honour, I please ask for a lesser sentence so I’m not too long out of work and to (lessen) those impacts on the community.”

Magistrate Jason Schubert asked Caldwell if he wanted to make an application for a work licence because he was eligible due to having no prior history.

But Caldwell opted to proceed with his guilty plea and cop his penalty.

Mr Schubert said: “You’ve pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity - for that I’ve reduced the penalty, it generally shows some remorse.

“In addition to that, you sound genuinely remorseful for your acts. You come before the court with no history of a like nature whatsoever.

“But on this occasion, you were driving a motor vehicle whilst you were almost three times the legal limit.

“In doing so, you have placed the lives of innocent members of this community at considerable risk.

“I accept you’re a person that contributes positively to the community. I accept, you need your licence.

“But you knew you needed your licence when you made a decision to drive while nearly three times the legal limit.”

Caldwell was fined $900 and disqualified from driving for five months.

Originally published as CQ teacher Kimberley Daniel Caldwell apologises for .143 drink-driving offence