Drink or drug drivers face Bowen and Proserpine courts

From 10 beers to prescription cannabis, these drivers should not have gotten behind the wheel.

Alana Martin Stanley faced Bowen Magistrates Court on 4 March 2025 charged with drug driving

These Whitsunday drivers chose to get behind the wheel after drinking or taking drugs, landing themselves in trouble with the law.

CONVICTIONS RECORDED

Alana Martin Stanley 

Alana Martin Stanley was caught on Day Dawn Road, Carters Towers with cannabis and methamphetamines in her system after a big night out.

Stanley was pulled over on the morning of December 17 for random testing and when it returned a positive result to relevant drugs, she told police that she had smoked medicinal cannabis three days prior.

The 41-year-old pleaded guilty to drug driving in the Bowen Magistrates Court where duty lawyer Cleo Rewald of Richards Rewald Solicitors said Stanley was not a user of meth but had a big night before getting pulled over and was unable to remember taking the drugs.

She noted that Stanley did have a prescription for the medicinal cannabis.

Ms Rewald told the court a disqualification would greatly impact Stanley’s ability to find work as she was currently on Jobseeker.

Stanley was fined $350 and disqualified from holding a licence for one month.

A conviction was recorded.

Rebecca Lea Edwards 

Rebecca Lea Edwards was pulled over on Island Drive, Cannonvale on 24 November for roadside drug testing where methamphetamines and cannabis were found in her saliva.

Cleo Rewald of Richards Rewald Solicitors appeared as duty lawyer in this matter where the court heard the mother of one was a dedicated carer for her partner who is going through cancer treatment.

The 40-year-old admitted to police at the time that she had used cannabis earlier that day and amphetamines two days prior.

Magistrate Anna Smith said Edwards had a “pretty awful history all round” with one previous drug driving charge in September, just two months before this incident.

She pleaded guilty to driving with a relevant drug in her saliva in the Proserpine Magistrates Court.

Edwards was fined $550 and disqualified from holding a licence for four months.

A traffic conviction was recorded.

Anthony Norman Oughton appeared in Bowen Magistrates Court on 2 March 2025 charged with driving without a licence while disqualified by a court order and driving while relevant drugs were in his saliva.

Anthony Norman Oughton 

Anthony Norman Oughton was caught driving without a licence and with drugs in his saliva after a long battle with drug addiction, the court heard.

Oughton was pulled over on November 6 for random testing and was unable to produce a licence.

Cleo Rewald of Richards Rewald Solicitors appeared on his behalf as duty lawyer, telling the court Oughton accepted the facts and had no reason for driving that day.

She said the 41-year-old had recently moved from New South Wales to Collinsville for a fresh start after a years long battle with drug addiction and was making efforts in regard to rehabilitation and recovery but would struggle without his licence due to the limited resources in the small town.

Oughton pleaded guilty in Bowen Magistrates Court to driving without a licence while disqualified by a court order and driving while relevant drugs were in his saliva.

Magistrate Anna Smith said she realised a disqualification would impact Mr Oughton but also had to consider his “awful history”.

“You moved here for a fresh start but you just continued to offend in the same way that you did in New South Wales,” she said.

Mr Oughton was fined $350 and disqualified from holding a licence for three months for each of the charges with a total sentence of six months disqualification and $700 in fines.

Convictions were recorded.

Brady Harrison Smith 

Brady Harrison Smith told police he drank 10 cans of XXXX before getting behind the wheel on February 2.

Smith was pulled over on the Bruce Highway in Bowen after police noticed he had no rear lights on his car.

Breath testing returned a positive reading of 0.125g of alcohol in 210 litres of breath.

The concreter appeared self-represented in Bowen Magistrates Court where he pleaded guilty to mid-range drink driving and requested a restricted licence for work purposes.

Smith received a $650 fine and was disqualified from holding a drivers licence for three months with a restricted licence granted for work.

Convictions were recorded.

NO CONVICTION RECORDED

Summer Foreman

Summer Foreman was on a P2 provisional licence when police pulled her over on the Bruce Highway in Gunyarra for a speeding offence on 5 January.

Police completed a roadside drug test which returned a positive result for relevant drugs.

Foreman told police she took medicinal cannabis to assist with ADHD and pain relief.

Steven Hayles from Macrossan & Amiet Solicitors who appeared in Proserpine Magistrates Court on behalf of Foreman told the court the 20-year-old had a prescription and did not realise the drug would remain in her saliva.

Foreman pleaded guilty to driving with a relevant drug in her saliva.

Magistrate Anna Smith told Foreman she had to figure out whether cannabis or her licence was more important in her life.

In sentencing, Ms Smith disqualified Foreman from holding a licence for three months and fined her $350 but did not record a conviction.

Brandon Michael Collins 

Brandon Michael Collins was driving to pick up his brother on New Year’s Day when he was pulled over by police for random testing and recorded a positive result for cannabis and methamphetamine in his saliva.

The 19-year-old appeared in Proserpine Magistrates Court self-represented and told the court he just “wasn’t really thinking” after attending a party the night prior.

“It’s not what I usually do,” he said.

The man who works full time in Mackay told the court he understood he would lose his licence.

He pleaded guilty to the charge and was fined $350 and disqualified from holding a licence for three months.

Convictions were not recorded.

Originally published as Drink or drug drivers face Bowen and Proserpine courts