Aspiring Toowoomba nurse Katie Leighton guilty of dangerous operation while drunk

While on bail for robbing and beating a ‘sugar daddy,’ a Toowoomba woman crashed into oncoming traffic after leaving a pub where she downed nine shots of vodka.

Katie Leighton. Picture: File

An aspiring Toowoomba nursing student on probation for the violent robbery of a ‘sugar daddy’ was brought back before the courts, this time for crashing a car while drunk.

Kathryn Grace Leighton, 20, was not licenced at the time of the crash.

A Toowoomba court heard on August 15, 2023, Leighton was drinking at the Royal Hotel with her then partner, who were having relationship issues.

Leighton decided to drive because her boyfriend was highly intoxicated, despite her drinking nine shots of vodka herself.

Soon after leaving the hotel, Leighton turned into oncoming traffic, hitting two cars, before continuing to drive until she crashed into a wall.

She and her partner were rushed to hospital with broken ribs.

No one in the two cars she hit were injured.

Initially, the young woman refused to co-operate with investigators.

Kathryn Grace Leighton. Picture: File

At the time of the crime, Leighton had no traffic history and two entries on her criminal record from 2023 relating to a stealing offence and breaching bail.

No convictions were recorded for either of these.

Leighton fronted Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Monday, June 25, and pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a vehicle while adversely affected by alcohol, and driving unlicensed.

When sentenced the next day, Magistrate Mark Howden told Leighton her offending was “extremely serious” and if it wasn’t for a glowing review from the probation board, he most likely would have imposed a suspended jail term.

Mr Howden sentenced her to a two-year probation order, disqualified her licence for 18 months, and did not record a conviction.

The young woman was placed on a two year probation order on March 5, 2024, after she pleaded guilty to armed robbery in company with personal violence which occurred at a Toowoomba park in October 2022.

During the District Court proceeding, the court heard Leighton met a client through a Sugar Baby website, before organising to meet the man in a public toilet at Queens Park Toowoomba.

A ‘sugar baby’ arrangement generally involves older men buying gifts for younger women in exchange for sexual favours.

The man was beaten and robbed by Leighton and two co-offenders.

A conviction was also not recorded on that occasion.