Named: South Burnett’s latest drink and drug drivers to front court

A concerning trend in the amount of residents getting behind the wheel with meth, booze, and other dangerous substances in their system has been revealed, with some even picked up driving their kids to school. Here’s how police will be cracking down:

Police say drivers risking their own and others’ lives by getting behind the wheel with drugs or alcohol in their system remains one of the biggest threats on South Burnett roads, with dozens winding up in court each month.

Kingaroy officer-in-charge David Tierney said police saw a worrying increase in the number of drink drivers on South Burnett roads since Covid restrictions eased and people began to socialise again.

“Driving under the influence slows your reaction and dulls your hearing,” Senior Sergeant Tierney said.

“You’re not only risking your own life and safety, but that of everyone else on the road.

“And we’re not just finding them at night, but during the day and when kids are coming out of school.”

He said the region also has “no shortage of drug drivers”, with police frequently busting offenders.

“Drug drivers we’ll catch anytime of the day, from night time to parents dropping their kids to and from school,” he said.

“If you’re not going to think of yourself, at least think of someone else.”

Sergeant Tierney said warnings about the dangers were frequently ignored by drivers.

“People think all these road messages are for the young bloke in the hotted up car, but that’s not what statistics are showing,” he said.

“Fatals involve everybody. Stop thinking these messages don’t apply to you.”

Sergeant Tierney said anyone who thinks they won’t get caught should think twice, with daily patrols and specialist agency operations in the region leaving countless law-breakers with hefty fines and court dates.

These are some of the most shocking drink or drug driving offences covered by the South Burnett Times in recent months:

Aaron James Minett had been knocking back drinks at the Grand Hotel in Goomeri before he got in his car to drive home while more than five times the legal limit.

Kingaroy Magistrates Court heard the 28-year-old started down the Burnett Highway toward Kingaroy just before 10pm on February 26 when he swerved onto the wrong side of the road.

Police prosecutor Sean Franklin said the intoxicated man then lost control of the vehicle and drove up an embankment, causing the car to roll onto its roof.

Aaron Minnet appeared in Kingaroy Magistrates Court on May 12, 2022. Photo/Facebook.

Minett was able to free himself from the car wreck and walk back to the hotel to find help.

The court heard he was later interviewed by police, who noticed he was highly intoxicated with bloodshot eyes. Minett recorded a blood alcohol concentration of 0.276.

The 28-year-old pleaded guilty to one count each of drink driving and driving without due care and attention.

He was fined $3000 and disqualified from driving for two years.

Full story here

Dalby chef Mateusz Piotr Sieprawski was lucky to be alive after rolling his girlfriend’s car multiple times while more than five times the legal limit.

The 30-year-old was driving along a straight section of the Bunya Hwy towards Kingaroy about 6.30pm on October 21, when he lost control of the car.

Mateusz Sieprawski faced Kingaroy Magistrates Court on June 23, 2022. Picture: Facebook

He swerved off the highway and ploughed through a barbed wire fence before rolling several times.

Blood taken at the hospital showed he had a BAC of 0.267.

Sieprawski pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and driving without due care and attention.

He was sentenced to three months’ jail, suspended for two years, and banned from driving for two years.

Full story here 

Glan Devon grandmother Peta Marie Stimpson led police on a worrying goose-chase across the South Burnett while affected by ice, with a magistrate later saying drug use was largely to blame.

The 45-year-old was behind the wheel of her Hyundai on November 25 last year, when police approached her at 6pm, having received a call in regards to Stimpson “driving suicidally”.

Officers spoke to her and noted it was clear she was suffering a crisis before she drove off towards Murgon along the Burnett Hwy.

Murgon police later attempted to intercept the grandmother, with Stimpson repeatedly stopping before taking off again.

Peta Marie Stimpson faced Nanango Court on April 4, 2022. Picture: Facebook

She eventually slowed and motioned for police to pull alongside where she leaned out the window and yelled at them to “f--k off”.

Eventually the car ran out of petrol and police approached and negotiated with Stimpson to leave the vehicle.

She later smashed a police car’s window with her elbow, before being placed in a second car where she kicked at a door and jumped out.

Methamphetamine was found in her system.

Stimpson pleaded guilty to wilful damage, obstructing police, evading police, driving unsupervised as a learner, and driving under influence of drugs.

She was placed on eight months’ probation, disqualified from driving for two years, and fined $6892.50.

Full story here

Sean Leonard Sedgman was taken off the roads for 12 months after he was nabbed behind the wheel while nearly four times the legal limit.

The 38-year-old was busted while driving on Kingaroy St on Boxing Day, where he recorded a BAC of 0.197.

Sedgman pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of liquor.

He was fined $1200 and ordered to fit his car with an interlock device for the year following his disqualification.

Brenda Gail Leashman pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle under the influence after she was found more than double the limit in a Macca’s carpark.

Police were flagged down by members of the public just after 9am on July 16, with concerns over a woman in a vehicle.

Brenda Gail Leishman outside Kingaroy Magistrates Court, July 21, 2022.

Officers approached the car and spoke to the Melbourne resident, and reported they could smell alcohol in the vehicle.

Leashman recorded a blood alcohol concentration of 0.114, more than twice the limit.

She told the court she was living in her car and struggling due to family problems but intended to return to Victoria.

Leashman pleaded guilty to operating a vehicle under the influence of liquor and was fined $650, and disqualified from driving for five months.

Full story here

Jodie Skye Nicholson was taken off the roads for six months after she was nabbed drink and drug driving twice within only weeks.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Lisa Manns told the court Nicholson was first busted driving with meth in her system and a pipe in her car at Nanango on October 24.

It was only weeks later in December that the Brisbane woman was caught behind the wheel with a BAC of 0.056 at Wooroolin.

Defence lawyer Jay Rose said his client’s mental health issues contributed to her offending.

Nicholson pleaded guilty to one count each of drink and drug driving and possessing a drug utensil.

She was fined $700 and only traffic convictions were recorded.

Graham Maurice Gilmore Wilson first caught police attention on January 20 when he was spotted driving with a broken tail light.

The 57-year-old was then breathalysed at the scene and recorded a BAC of 0.151.

Defence lawyer Andrew Kelly told the court his client had met a friend at the pub that night and other patrons continued to buy him drinks throughout the night, eventually pushing him over the limit when he decided to drive home.

He was fined $1200 and disqualified for six months.

Daniel McAndrew also fronted court after he was caught behind the wheel with at more than triple the legal alcohol limit.

Police nabbed McAndrew on Youngman St at Kingaroy on January 26, where he recorded a blood alcohol concentration of 0.167.

A self-represented McAndrew told the court he had lost his job leading up to the shocking run-in.

“I’ve put people at risk by doing that and that is unacceptable. It was so stupid and I’ll never do anything like that ever again,” he said.

McAndrew pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of liquor. He was fined $1100 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Jody John Arthur Bishell faced court after police found him behind the wheel with meth in his system twice on only a few months.

The 46-year-old was found by officers sleeping in his car out front of a pharmacy on July 24 last year, with his car still slanted across the road, forcing other drivers to cross the median strip to avoid hitting him.

Police observed he had bloodshot eyes and was rolling his eyes up, scratching himself and unable to keep still.

The court was told Bishell told officers he had smoked a bong that morning and took a couple of pills, with subsequent tests revealing meth in his system.

Bishell was busted behind the wheel with the same drug in his system on January 16.

The man pleaded guilty to two counts of drug driving.

He was placed on probation for 12 months and disqualified from driving for nine months.

Originally published as Named: South Burnett’s latest drink and drug drivers to front court