Marco James Christie faces court for high range drink driving, dangerous operation of a vehicle

A drink driver, who became abusive and belligerent to police after they responded to calls of a crash, blamed a collision with a kangaroo for spinning out.

A drunk driver who tried to blame a collision with a kangaroo for a car crash north of Toowoomba had abused and assaulted police officers while refusing to undergo a breath test.

Marco James Christie, 32, fronted Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Thursday where he pleaded guilty to eight charges, including high range drink driving, dangerous operation of a vehicle while being adversely affected by an intoxicating substance, failing to provide a specimen of breath and obstructing police.

About 8.20pm on November 18, 2021, police attended a single vehicle crash on the D’Aguilar Highway west of Kilcoy where they found a Nissan Pulsar missing its front bumper and with damage to the bonnet and the front passenger wheel on its rim, police prosecutor Sergeant Natalie Bugden told the court.

Marco James Christie, 32, pleaded guilty in Toowoomba Magistrates Court to a raft of offences including high range drink driving, dangerous operation of a vehicle and obstructing a police officer.

Christie told the officers when they arrived that he had collided with a kangaroo, but the court was told the officers couldn’t find any evidence of an impact.

Sergeant Bugden said evidence at the scene indicated Christie had crossed onto the wrong side of the road and crashed into a ditch, before backing the car up and stopping the car on the right side of the road.

The court was told Christie was unsteady on his feet and smelt of alcohol, but when police attempted to get a sample of his breath he became aggressive and belligerent.

At 8.34pm Christie was arrested and placed in the back of a police vehicle, and continued to be abusive to police. The court was told he was eventually transported to Kilcoy police station, where he again refused to provide a breath sample, and attempted to knock over and bite a police officer.

Sergeant Bugden said by 10.35pm Christie was taken to Caboolture watch-house where he blew 0.134.

Marco James Christie, 32, pleaded guilty in Toowoomba Magistrates Court to a raft of offences including high range drink driving, dangerous operation of a vehicle and obstructing a police officer.

Christie’s solicitor Ryan McCullough said his client was embarrassed and sorry for his actions, and that at the time he had recently lost his job and was struggling with alcohol.

Mr McCullough said the night in question was a “perfect storm” that saw him make the “very unfortunate decision” to go to a friend’s place and drink after losing his job at a Kilcoy bottle shop.

“(Christie) is embarrassed and very sorry to the police who had to bear the brunt of his mood that evening,” Mr McCullough said.

Magistrate Howard Osborne fined Christie a total of $4350, and disqualified from driving for 26 months.