Michael Riley Crane faces Toowoomba Magistrates Court for high range drink driving

The 22-year-old with a ‘terrible traffic history’ was spotted driving erratically by a police patrol before he was pulled over, but that was the start of the young man’s troubles. See what reading he blew.

A “few beers” with mates before driving home led to a 22-year-old man blowing a breath/alcohol reading more than three times the legal limit after he was pulled over by police on a Toowoomba street.

Michael Riley Crane had been spotted by a police patrol about 11.10pm, December 13, 2022, driving erratically and swerving “all over the road” on Ruthven St south, Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told.

Michael Riley Crane leaves Toowoomba Courthouse on January 25, 2023.

Pulled over by police on nearby Alderley St, Crane told the officers he had been drinking earlier that night and he was driving back to his accommodation after a “few beers” with mates, police prosecutor Chris Willson told the court.

The 22-year-old blew a breath/alcohol reading of 0.162, Senior Constable Willson said.

The self-represented Crane pleaded guilty to driving while under the influence of liquor.

“Obviously there’s no reason to be driving under the influence of alcohol,” he said, assuring the court he wouldn’t do such a thing again.

Crane said, “fortunately”, he wouldn’t lose his job as a result.

A less than impressed magistrate Kay Philipson told Crane he was lucky he hadn’t crashed his car, given his high reading, and that he should have known he was well over the limit before getting into his car.

“You’ve got a terrible traffic history for someone your age,” she told him.

Taking into account his youth and early plea of guilty, Ms Philipson ordered the conviction not be recorded and fined Crane $500 and disqualified him from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for six months.