Michael John Byrne threatens to kill security officer, venue manager at The Strand Hotel, after being refused entry

Not only did the Central Queensland man prove a handful for police outside of the venue, but he later on the same night got busted drink-driving - not once but twice.

Police were called to an incident at The Strand Hotel at Yeppoon. Generic image.

A man who caused a scene after being refused entry to a Yeppoon hotel because he was unvaccinated, later on the same night got busted drink-driving - not once but twice.

Michael John Byrne, 57, pleaded guilty in Yeppoon Magistrates Court on March 3 to six charges - public nuisance near a licensed premises, contravening a police requirement, obstructing police, two counts of drink-driving and driving while suspended.

The court heard that Byrne’s offending started late on the night of January 14 and continued into the early hours of the next morning.

Police Prosecutor Clancy Fox said just before midnight on January 14, Byrne went to The Strand Hotel where he was refused entry due to being unvaccinated.

Mr Fox said Byrne then became abusive and aggressive.

“He held a glass bottle that was in a brown paper bag - held it up over his head and threatened to kill a security officer,” Mr Fox said.

“He was yelling and swearing and also threatening to kill the venue manager.”

Police were called to attend and when they spoke to Byrne he said “nothing had happened”, Mr Fox said.

Mr Fox said Byrne gave police a false name and when officers asked him for identification he told them he “wasn’t a mongrel c---” and he “wasn’t causing any troubles”.

“He (Byrne) went onto a tangent about police targeting him because he’s unvaccinated,” Mr Fox said.

After police told Byrne he was under arrest for public nuisance, he stepped back from them and pulled his arms away.

He continued to resist arrest.

Mr Fox said police attempted to get Byrne onto the ground to get better control of him, but he “pulled his arms in front of himself and curled himself into a ball”.

Police officers eventually managed to handcuff Byrne and he was taken to the Yeppoon Police Station.

Not long after Byrne was released, about 1.45am, police were conducting patrols around licensed venues when they saw Byrne walk to his parked car near The Strand.

Police saw him get into the car and drive off and they intercepted him.

After a random breath test, he returned a reading of .097.

Byrne was then suspended from driving but despite this, police caught him driving again, about 2.52am, on Yeppoon Road.

He was tested again, this time returning a reading of .091.

Mr Fox said the last entry on Byrne’s history was drug offending in 2009.

Solicitor Jess King said Byrne accepted the facts as read in court by the prosecution, and he instructed that he did not have great recall in relation to the incidents that occurred.

Ms King said Byrne, who works “on and off” as a labourer for a local carpenter, could not offer any excuse for his behaviour.

She said Byrne was diagnosed with bipolar and in the weeks leading up to these offences, he had reduced his medication “effectively by half”.

“Obviously alcohol was also involved,” Ms King said.

Before handing down penalty, Magistrate Cameron Press said he hoped that Byrne had learned a lesson from playing around with his medication.

Mr Press fined Byrne $2300 and disqualified him from driving for 14 months.

No convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Michael John Byrne threatens to kill security officer, venue manager at The Strand Hotel, after being refused entry