Sunshine Coast plastic surgeon Dr Lee Jeffrey Brown sentenced for drink driving

A top Sunshine Coast plastic surgeon says his battle with alcohol killed his career even before he was caught on camera driving dangerously while drunk.

An alcoholic plastic surgeon finished his self-imposed rehabilitation treatment a day before he was caught driving dangerously while drunk, a court has heard.

Dr Lee Jeffrey Brown, 56, was stopped by police after he had swerved his black Mercedes Benz sedan on to the wrong side of Bradman Ave in Maroochydore at 8pm on May 14.

Police dashcam footage shows the officer had been driving the opposite direction when he spotted Brown’s car crossing the double white line, almost striking the police car.

Brown later recorded a 0.205 blood alcohol reading.

He pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Thursday, August 12, to dangerous operation of a vehicle while adversely affected by an intoxicating substance and drink driving.

Police prosecutor Lee Allan said witnesses had heard the engine of the Mercedes “roaring” and other drivers had to move out of Brown’s way to make room for his speeding car when he crossed the Ken O’Neil Bridge.

Dr Lee Jeffrey Brown was sentenced to 18 months probation after drink driving in Maroochydore.

Senior Constable Allan said officers calculated Brown would have been driving about 80km/h in a 60km/h zone.

“He was dangerously overtaking other vehicles, veering over double white lines,” Senior Constable Allan said.

Brown’s defence barrister, Michael Copley, said his client had been battling alcoholism since he had major lap band surgery in 2018.

“It has been since he had that surgery he has consumed liquor substantially, prior to that he didn’t have a problem with liquor,” Mr Copley said.

He said Brown noticed he’d developed a problem which led him to seek help in 2019 before he voluntarily resigned from practising medicine in November, 2020.

Brown, who was the founding chairman of the Kawana Private Hospital, has since been diagnosed as a severe alcoholic.

The court heard the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency was aware of Brown’s drink driving.

Mr Copley said Brown, who was separating from his wife, had been packing up the family home on the day of the incident when he decided to have a drink.

“He had one drink and his next recollection is he was in the watch-house the following morning,” Mr Copley said.

The court heard Brown had been seeking treatment at Living Valley Health and Wellness Retreat in Kin Kin for alcoholism and had successfully completed a two week stint at the facility alcohol free from April 25 to May 9.

Mr Copley said Brown had also sought help on May 13 for his drinking, the day before he was caught drink driving.

He asked the court to impose a fine and no conviction in order to help him get his life back on track and start practising medicine again.

“He has a reason to try to deal with this alcohol problem and he has every incentive to do so, he is not a person who needs ongoing supervision from the court,” Mr Copley said.

“His whole life has been dedicated to practising medicine and at his age now he can’t do it because of his condition.”

Magistrate Catherine Benson said she wasn’t persuaded a fine would be appropriate, especially for Brown who had a number of speeding offences to his name.

She said it was important Brown recognised he had a problem with alcohol and commended him for seeking assistance but she knew it wasn’t unusual for recovering alcoholics to fall “off the wagon”.

Brown was sentenced to 18 months on probation.

He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months, which was backdated to May 14 when he originally lost his licence.

He declined to comment when leaving the courthouse.

Originally published as Sunshine Coast plastic surgeon Dr Lee Jeffrey Brown sentenced for drink driving