Noosaville restaurant apprentice chef Steen Rutledge faces court after night out at Rolling Rock nightclub

Apprentice chef faces court after he crashes his car during a night out in Noosa.

A man who crashed a car at Sunrise Beach after trying to steal number plates off another vehicle following an evening at a Noosa Heads nightclub has fronted court.

Steen Rutledge, 20, appeared before Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist in the Noosa Magistrates Court on June 7.

Noosa police prosecutor Alison Johnstone said the apprentice chef at Flux Noosaville walked out of Rolling Rock nightclub in Hastings Street on April 23 and headed toward the Bay Village car park.

She said at 9.50pm, Rutledge was then filmed on CCTV first trying to remove the front number plates of a Mazda CX 7 but seemed disturbed by a passing vehicle.

The police prosecutor said he moved around the back of the car and successfully removed the back number plate.

She said the vehicle’s owner sought restitution of $272.60 for damage to the bumper and $74.99 for plate replacement.

Sergeant Johnstone said that at 10.50pm the same day, police were called to a crash on Eenie Creek Road at Sunrise Beach.

“Police arrived there, the vehicle was located on the northern side of the road in a gully,” she said.

“The location was a wide road with a sweeping bend.”

She said the Ford Falcon still had its wipers operating.

“There were no occupants in the vehicle and the driver’s side windscreen was smashed possibly from some type of impact,” Sergeant Johnstone said.

“There was a large amount of blood in the door opening of the driver’s door, also on the outside of the driver’s door, and the vehicle was registered to the defendant.”

She said police eventually found Rutledge at his Tewantin home and noticed he had glazed eyes, slurred speech, could smell liquor on his breath and he was unsteady on his feet

Sergeant Johnstone said he told police he was the driver of the car when it crashed, and his breath test at the home gave a positive result.

The police prosecutor said he was then taken to Noosa Police Station and failed four times to give officers a breath specimen for a breath-alcohol reading in the early morning of April 24.

He was charged with one count of stealing, one count of wilful damage, one count of failing to provide a specimen, one count of did drive UIL that was withdrawn by the police prosecutor at the start of the proceedings, one count of failure to report injury or damage to roads and one count of failure to keep to the left of the dividing line.

Rutledge pleaded guilty to the offences.

Rutledge’s solicitor Jason Kerr said his client had apologised to police.

Mr Kerr also showed his client’s attendance at the Noffs Foundation, which is associated with Headspace, along with references from his employer and other references including one from a former New South Wales police officer.

“My client has got self-awareness that he shouldn’t have been anywhere near a vehicle whilst he’s been drinking,” Mr Kerr said.

“He has had insight into his conduct.”

The defendant’s solicitor said in regards to the stealing and wilful damage, Rutledge had travel aspirations and a stealing conviction would affect him if he wanted to travel to certain places and if he ever wanted a military career.

Magistrate Stjernqvist said he needed to consider giving a penalty that would deter people in the community from refusing to give breath samples.

For the stealing and wilful damage offences, the magistrate gave a $550 fine and ordered no conviction be recorded.

He ordered restitution of $273.60 be paid to the owner of the Mazda CX7.

For the other offences, Magistrate Stjernqvist convicted Rutledge, fined him $990 and disqualified his licence for eight months.

Originally published as Noosaville restaurant apprentice chef Steen Rutledge faces court after night out at Rolling Rock nightclub