Michael Jerome O’Brien sentenced in Noosa Magistrates Court after being caught driving while ‘heavily intoxicated’

Bystanders took car keys from a drunk man who was among a long list of people to face a Noosa court this week for drink and drug driving offences. SEE THE LIST

Michael Jerome O'Brien (right) leaves Noosa Magistrates Court with his lawyer after being sentenced on Tuesday.

Witnesses had to remove bottles of alcohol and take away a “heavily intoxicated” driver’s car keys until police arrived, a court has heard.

Michael Jerome O’Brien, 61, lost his licence for more than a year after he pleaded guilty on Tuesday to one charge failing to supply breath specimen for a test and high range drink driving.

O’Brien was charged on July 16 after police were called to a crash at Noosaville and found him sitting in his car, where he “appeared to be heavily intoxicated”.

Police spoke to O’Brien, who admitted to drinking but failed to provide a breath specimen several times.

Noosa Magistrates Court heard O’Brien was arrested and police had to place him in their car as he was “incapable” of doing so himself.

The court heard the 61-year-old had a disease which affected his kidneys and lungs and had undergone a kidney transplant which was unsuccessful.

O’Brien, who has retired on medical grounds, does not drive anymore and suffers trauma from the failed transplant and continuing health problems, the court heard.

Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist fined O’Brien $900 and disqualified him from driving for 15 months.

O’Brien was just one of several people who faced the Noosa court on Tuesday with drink and drug driving offences.

Roger Charles Telford, 73, pleaded guilty to driving with methylamphetamine in his saliva on June 22 in Tewantin.

The Coolum Beach retiree was fined $650 and disqualified from driving for nine months.

Leigh Gregory, 43,pleaded guilty on Tuesday to driving under the influence of liquor on the Bruce Highway at Eumundi on July 25.

Police responded to calls of a car which had been swerving and then stopped in the southbound lanes.

Officers found Gregory and his passenger in the car with the two rear tyres blown out.

Gregory’s roadside test returned a blood alcohol concentration of 0.158.

He was fined $800 and disqualified from driving for eight months.

Alexandre Pires Rahal pleaded guilty to drink driving on January 1.

The 26-year-old, who was on an international licence, had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.09.

He was fined $400 and disqualified from driving for three months.

Elliot Strudwick, 25, was fined $450 and disqualified from driving after he pleaded guilty to driving with a relevant drug in his system in Cooroibah on July 16.

Police stopped Strudwick at 11.10am and a drug test was positive for marijuana.

He was disqualified from driving for one month and no conviction was recorded.

Andrew Leigh Dixon, 52, was caught behind the wheel with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.099 in Cooroy on July 7.

He pleaded guilty to drink driving and was fined $450 and disqualified from driving for one month.

Originally published as Michael Jerome O’Brien sentenced in Noosa Magistrates Court after being caught driving while ‘heavily intoxicated’