Barrister among 30 caught in Hamilton Island drink driving blitz

A police blitz on Hamilton Island has resulted in 30 people, including a Victorian barrister, being charged with drink driving offences. Some of them were driving buggies rather than cars.

Five people have been busted for drink driving on a buggy on Hamilton Island.

A police blitz on Hamilton Island buggy drivers has seen five people, including a Victorian barrister, appearing in a local court on the one day.

The surge in arrests came from Hamilton Island Race Week, a solicitor told the Proserpine Magistrates Court.

Among those charged was a Victorian barrister having “half a drink too many” and a man who drink drove as he never held a licence.

The blitz comes after a 21-year-old woman was sentenced over a golf buggy crash where she was more than four times over the alcohol limit.

One of the four occupants of the vehicle was flown to Mackay Base Hospital in a critical condition.

Whitsundays Police later revealed they had charged more than 30 people with drink driving offences and issued more than 20 traffic infringement notices as part of Operation Victor Boston, which is aimed at targeting road safety across Hamilton Island.

It comes after 22 lives were lost on Mackay District roads in 2022.

Police said everyone had a role to play in reducing road trauma, drivers, passengers, and community members alike.

Mackay and Whitsundays residents are urged to report unsafe driving behaviour via Policelink online or by phoning 131 444.

Meanwhile, a Hamilton Island spokeswoman urged drivers on Hamilton Island to “comply with Queensland road rules and regulations”.

Here are the five most recent cases appearing before the local court on one day.

Katherine Angela Trevaskis, 31

Katherine Angela Trevaskis was caught drink driving with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.101 while she was driving her friend home on a golf buggy on Hamilton Island on August 24.

She had told police she had consumed her last drink hours prior to being intercepted.

Katherine Angela Trevaskis told the court she had been ‘pressured’ to drive her friend home. Picture: Estelle Sanchez

Ms Trevaskis, who was representing herself, pleaded guilty in Proserpine Magistrates Court but told Magistrate Michelle Howard she had been “pressured” to drive her friend home.

“I did feel fine but obviously I wasn’t,” she said.

Magistrate Howard told Mrs Trevaskis she would not record the conviction as it was her first offence and she did not want her having any issues with holding a blue card for work.

She was fined $550 and her licence was disqualified for three months.

William Zichy-Woinarski, 77

Barrister William Zichy-Woinarski was caught drink driving on a golf buggy on Hamilton Island on August 23. Picture: Victorian Bar

A prominent barrister in Victoria was caught driving in a golf buggy with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.070 on the Great Northern Highway on Hamilton Island.

William Zichy-Woinarski left his holiday house on Hamilton Island on August 23, at 9.30pm after he had a few drinks with friends he had dinner with.

Solicitor Cleo Rewald told the court their meeting had involved talking about the passing of a close friend of Mr Zichy-Woinarski. That would have been the reason why he might have had “half a drink too many”.

Mr Zichy-Woinarski, who is a Greens List barrister in Victoria and also on the board of directors at the Australian Ballet School, did not have any traffic history.

Magistrate Howard said she would not record the offence. He was disqualified from driving for one month and fined $350.

Wayne Roberts, 60

Wayne Roberts, a mine worker, was caught driving a golf buggy on Hamilton Island at 12.20am on August 22 with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.077.

Mr Wayne, who was representing himself in court pleaded guilty to the charge and told Magistrate Howard he recognised he had “a sense of complacency with driving” on that day.

He was fined $350 and his licence was disqualified for one month.

A conviction was not recorded.

Alan John King, 77

Alan John King was caught up in the police blitz during Hamilton Island Race Week. Picture: Estelle Sanchez

A retired IT industry professional and children cancer research patron who has lived full time on Hamilton Island for the past two years was caught drink driving while on an expired licence.

On August 21, Alan John King was caught driving a golf buggy on Whitsunday Boulevard, Hamilton Island with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.108.

Solicitor Cleo Rewald told the Proserpine Magistrates Court the reason why Mr King had been arrested was because police had conducted more patrols for Hamilton Island Race Week.

She said Mr King didn’t know his licence had expired as he never had received the notice from the department.

Ms Rewald said Mr King and his family have owned a holiday home on the island for 24 years but had decided to relocate there permanently from NSW in 2021.

Ms Rewald said the letter had never arrived at the right address because of that relocation.

Magistrate Howard told Mr King it was his responsibility to update the department of a change of address.

Ms Rewald said Mr King wasn’t planning on getting a new licence, as there were plenty of buses he could catch from Hamilton Island and had many friends he could ask for lifts.

He was fined $550 and was disqualified from obtaining a licence for three months.

The traffic conviction was not recorded.

John James Courtidis, 33

John James Courtidis said he was not aware he needed a licence to drive a buggy. Picture: Estelle Sanchez

John James Courtidis drove a golf buggy with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.068 and had also been driving without holding a licence.

Mr Courtidis, who was self represented, told the court he had been overseas working in the US for a number of years and had been at Hamilton Island on holiday.

He said he wasn’t aware of the requirement to hold a licence to be able to drive a golf buggy.

Ms Howard fined him $700 as well as disqualified him from obtaining a licence for three months.

Originally published as Barrister among 30 caught in Hamilton Island drink driving blitz