Nikolai Kim Hodson sentenced for drink driving and fraud

A Queensland man caught drink driving tried to do push ups, and made himself vomit in a police car to “sweat out the alcohol”, after leaving a trail of unpaid bills at restaurants.

Nikolai Kin Hodson was sentenced for drink driving and fraud in front of the Proserpine Magistrates Court.

A Brisbane man caught drink driving tried to do push ups, making himself spit and vomit in a police car to “sweat out the alcohol”, in a vain attempt to keep his licence.

Nikolai Kim Hodson, 32, left a trail of unpaid bills at petrols stations and restaurants as he was relocating from Brisbane to the Whitsundays late last year.

Prosecutor Sergeant Emma Myors told the court police officers were called to an address in Mount Julian for a DV related offence at 7pm on January 19.

Officers heard yelling, had to separate Hodson from his partner and found the small granny flat ruined with a brown liquid sprayed across the floor and the wall — later identified as cans of Woodstock.

Ms Myors said after he was arrested and breath-tested, Hodson started to do push ups, and had told officers he was “trying to sweat out the alcohol”, so he would not lose his licence.

When he was taken in the police car, Hodson forced himself to vomit and spit.

His blood alcohol concentration on that day was 0.059.

Ms Myors also told the court of a string of charges Hodson was facing for stealing fuel from the beginning of December 2023.

Hodson had driven off without paying on four occasions while on his way between Brisbane and the Whitsundays, in Chevellum, Forest Glen, Banaraby and Cannonvale.

Ms Myors said Hodson had also pulled a similar robbery at a popular Airlie Beach restaurant.

On January 27, Hodson went to the Jubilee Tavern with mates and opened a tab, which came up to $404 worth of alcohol and pizzas by the end of the night.
When asked about paying for the food, Hodson told staff he was not able to pay but that his girlfriend was the one who would come pick up the bill.

Later on that night at 12:15am, police caught Hodson in his car with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.130.

Earlier in December, Hodson was also caught with almost eight grams of cannabis and a pipe at PCYC in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.

PD Law solicitor Peta Vernon told the court Hodson had been homeless in Brisbane and decided to make the trip to the Whitsundays when he “did not have the funds to do so” to try and get a job as a deckhand on a boat.

Ms Vernon told Magistrate Michelle Howard to “put it down to desperation”.

In regards to the wilful damage on the Mount Julian property, Ms Vernon said the situation had degenerated with his landlord who allegedly had sexually assaulted his partner.

Ms Vernon said although Hodson had found a job as a dishwasher, he was still struggling with homelessness in North Queensland.

Magistrate Michelle Howard told Hodson he had a significant history of drink driving, which she said was the most concerning of his acts.

“You arrived to the Whitsundays four to five weeks ago and this is the situation you find yourself in almost immediately,” Ms Howard said.

Hodson pleaded guilty to a total of 11 charges, including two drink driving offences, two wilful damage, 5 charges of fraud and two drug-related charges.

He was sentenced to six months in prison wholly suspended for 12 months, to a period of probation of 12 months, his licence was disqualified for 12 months and he was ordered to pay a restitution sum of $778.24.

Convictions were recorded.

Originally published as Nikolai Kim Hodson sentenced for drink driving and fraud