List of Toowoomba drink or drug drivers to front court in December

Caught red handed disobeying the road rules, these were the Toowoomba drink or drug drivers on this year’s naughty list.

Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

Taking ownership of drunken blunders at end of year celebrations or facing up to mistakes made earlier this year, many Toowoomba drivers lost their licence this silly season after pleading guilty to drink or drug driving charges.

While many others fronted court on pending charges, these are some of the drink or drug drivers who faced Toowoomba Magistrates Court in December.

CONVICTION RECORDED

Big trucking mistake

A 52-year-old man who was weeks away from getting his licence back will be without his licence for another two years and six months after being caught driving with meth in his system in 2024.

The Goondiwindi man, Micheal William Wattus, who was on probation order at the time for domestic violence offences, pleaded guilty to breaching the order, drug driving, and driving unlicensed.

The former truck driver, who now supervises trucks arriving on mine and rigging sites across Queensland, was sentenced for the offences before the Toowoomba Magistrate Court on December 11.

The long-term meth user was fined $1500 for the two driving offences and $2000 for the unrelated crime after being resentenced for breaching his probation order.

Convictions were recorded.

Asleep at the wheel

A Toowoomba dad was left with a hefty bill after causing a serious crash while drugs were in his system.

Labourer Jackson Nicholas Whitton pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention and drug driving after falling asleep at the wheel, causing a four-car pileup near Jimboomba in November 2023.

The court heard Whitton’s car had collided with the car in front, resulting in severe damage to four vehicles. No one was seriously injured.

He was taken to hospital with concerns for his mental health and returned a positive reading for methamphetamine and methylamphetamine in his blood.

Solicitor Chelsea Saldumbide said Whitton had a history of drug misuse and had slipped back into old patterns following the breakdown of a relationship.

“He unfortunately resulted to old ways and old habits with methamphetamine that he had worked very hard to rid himself of,” she said.

“He instructs to me he now remains drug free.”

Ms Saldumbide advised Whitton was currently paying off a more than $6000 insurance bill from the crash and had written off his own vehicle.

Whitton was fined $1500 and disqualified for the minimum of one month due to delays in the court proceedings and considerations for his work requirements.

Convictions were recorded.

Lesson learned

A Toowoomba man has fronted court a second time for driving with cannabis in his saliva after he returned a positive roadside reading in October.

On December 11, the Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard Jayden Michael Johnas Ingham was pulled over on Gowrie Junction Rd at Gowrie Junction about 1.30pm while on a learner licence.

The court heard the young man had a medical prescription for cannabis.

Magistrate Mark Howden told Ingham it was an unfortunate offence in Queensland, noting a recent law change had occurred in Victoria.

Ingham pleaded guilty to drug driving and was fined $350 and disqualified from driving for four months.

Convictions were recorded.

Contruction worker off the roads

Construction worker Aiden John Robson pleaded guilty to two counts of drug driving and being under the influence while in charge of a vehicle among other drug and traffic offences before Toowoomba Magistrates Court on December 16.

The court heard police had been called to the Wilsonton Shopping Centre on July 9 when shoppers noticed Robson passed out in his car which had come to a stop across multiple car slots.

“He was sweating, appeared to be under the influence of a substance, he was barely able to speak with police … he was slurring his words and having difficulty speaking,” Police prosecutor Nick Pratt said.

Robson submitted a drug test which returned a positive reading for methamphetamine.

A small amount of methamphetamine and a used syringe were also found in the vehicle.

“You can infer he was in a very, very adversely affected state and operating a motor vehicle,” Mr Pratt said.

Solicitor Paige Hetherington said Robson had struggled with drug dependency for some time and suggested probation could help him back to sobriety.

“He has demonstrated in his history that he has the ability to rehabilitate and stay sober; he just needs that added layer of support,” she said.

“The benefit of a probation order and a form of supervision means he is held accountable.”

He was sentenced on twelve offences to one year probation and ordered off the roads for 15 months.

Convictions were recorded.

NO CONVICTION RECORDED

Costly wake up remedy

An interstate truck driver who put himself and the community at risk by driving on the job with methamphetamine in his system has been taken off the road for one month.

Despite a call from a concerned member of the public on the day of his arrest, the court heard when police checked the father of six Benjamin Reginald Cruskall’s dashcam, they found no issues with his manner of driving.

However, after a positive roadside reading for meth, prosecution said police were forced to tow the trucking business owner’s road train which was fully loaded and blocking an eastbound traffic lane.

The 40-year-old Perth man pleaded guilty to drug driving on Monday, December 9.

Cruskall’s solicitor Alysha Jacobson said Cruskall strongly regretted using methamphetamine to keep himself awake on the road and realised the decision had negative flow-on effects for his family.

Cruskall was fined $1000, ordered to pay the $405 towing fee and disqualified from driving for one month.

No conviction was recorded.

Guinness records big blowout

A first-time drink driving offender will be off the road for six months after having a few too many at the Irish Club Hotel in Toowoomba.

On December 11, the Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard Rhys Saxon Salter was pulled over on Herries Street after leaving the pub just before midnight on November 21.

He told officer’s he’d had a few pints of Guinness before blowing a blood alcohol reading of 0.158.

Magistrate Mark Howden told Salter that driving over three times the limit was unacceptable, but accepted the young man was deeply remorseful and had acted out of character.

The mental health support worker pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and was fined $650.

No conviction was recorded.

Double trouble

With a reading of more than double the legal limit, a Toowoomba man had nothing to say about his costly and potentially deadly mistake.

Paul Samuela Sing pleaded guilty to mid-range drink driving before Toowoomba Magistrates Court on December 18.

The court heard Sing blew a blood alcohol reading of 0.104, more than double the legal limit.

Sing had little to say in his defence, telling the court he had consumed a number of beers that day and “wasn’t thinking of the consequences”.

“You could have had an accident, you could have seriously hurt or even killed somebody,” Magistrate Kyna Morice said.

“That’s why there is an alcohol limit.”

Sing was fined $650 and disqualified from driving for three months.

Convictions were not recorded.