Toowoomba court drug drivers: Eight people fined, disqualified from holding a licence after drug driving

Drug driving is well and truly in focus with most police kitted out to conduct roadside tests. Here are seven people Toowoomba police busted recently.

A number of drug drivers have faced Toowoomba Magistrates Court after returning positive roadside tests to a variety of substances.

From a butcher who spent New Year’s Eve in custody to a man who ran into trouble giving his friends a lift home, here are some of the latest drug drivers to appear in court.

Conviction recorded

Andrew Donald Johnson

Johnson will be off the road for three months after the provisional licence holder failed a roadside drug test.

Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told police intercepted Johnson, 42, on Nelson St in Toowoomba about 1.40am on December 30, 2023.

At the time he told police he had used drugs recently.

He was detained for a blood test which returned a positive reading for meth and cannabis.

This was his fourth drug driving offence in the past five years.

“The defendant has to accept he is coming dangerously close to a period of imprisonment if he continues to drive in this fashion,” Senior Constable Willson said.

Ms Kelly asked if he would consent to probation, which he declined.

“I put you on notice that people do actually have a period of imprisonment imposed for this type of offence,” she said.

Johnson was fined $800 and disqualified from holding a licence for six months.

No conviction recorded

Joseph John Kyung Ellis

A young butcher celebrated New Year’s Eve in police custody after he was caught driving while affected by cocaine and meth.

On Tuesday, Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told Joseph John Kyung Ellis, 27, was stopped by police on James St about 11.10pm on December 31.

Police Prosecutor Senior Constable Chris Willson told the court that Ellis made admissions to recent drug use but that he had no history of drug driving.

A follow-up blood test at the Toowoomba watch house confirmed the presence of cocaine and meth in his blood.

After Ellis pleaded guilty to drug driving, magistrate Clare Kelly ordered that he pay a $350 fine and be disqualified from holding a drivers licence for one month.

Brock Jeffery Yarrow

Police intercepted Yarrow while he was driving on Neil St at about 3.20am on New Year’s Day.

The Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard Yarrow produced a provisional driver.

A saliva test returned a positive reading and the 21-year apprentice carpenter was detained and taken to the Toowoomba watch house for a second test.

This follow up test confirmed the presence of three drugs, MDMA, cocaine and cannabis.

“It was concerning that a driver is on the road with three drugs in system, granted it was New Year’s Eve, but that is no excuse,” Senior Constable Willson said.

“It is even more concerning that he was on a provisional licence.”

Yarrow told the court that he accepts he made a mistake.

“I had just ended an eight-year-relationship and I was having more fun than I should have been,” he said.

Yarrow was fined $350 and disqualified for holding a driver’s licence for three months.

Connor Jacob Beutel

Beutel was intercepted by police as he drove on Condamine St about 10.15am on December 13.

Senior Constable Willson said the 21-year-old produced a provisional driver’s licence and returned a positive result on a roadside drug test.

“He made admission to recently smoking cannabis,” Senior Constable Willson said.

After taking his early plea and limited traffic history into account, Ms Kelly fined Beutel $350 and disqualified him from holding a drivers licence for three months.

Tom William Ramsay

Ramsay pleaded guilty to two counts of drug driving.

The first was related to the traffic stop on Neil St, Toowoomba at 2am on December 17.

Senior Constable Willson told the court that Ramsay, 22, claimed to be giving friends a lift home before a follow up blood test revealed the presence of cocaine and cannabis.

Ramsay was stopped a second time at about 4pm on December 31 on Bowtells Rd with a blood test revealing he had recently consumed MDMA.

Ms Kelly issued a $600 fine and disqualified Ramsay from holding a driver's licence for a total of two months for both offences.

“I understand holding a licence is a privilege and I made a mistake after hanging around the wrong people while on holidays,” Ramsay said.

“It won’t happen again.”

Nick James Anthony Fletcher

When police intercepted Fletcher on Anzac Ave at 4.45pm on December 22 he initially told them he had not consumed any illegal drugs.

However, a roadside saliva test revealed that was a lie.

The 23-year-old Toowoomba man was detained for a blood test which returned positive results for cannabis and meth.

He was fined $350 and disqualified from holding a driver's licence for one month.

Marion Amanda Syme

Police intercepted Syme on Boothby St about 2.15pm on December 22 where she failed a roadside saliva test.

Senior Constable Willson told the court that Syme was detained for a blood test which revealed the presence of meth.

“The defendant has quite a long traffic history, but this is her first entry for drugged driving,” he said.

Syme was ordered to pay a $350 fine and disqualified from holding a drivers licence for one month.