Tuombe Kalisa blew more than three times limit after crashing friend’s car

The 20-year-old student had “borrowed” his friend’s car to drive home but crashed on a Toowoomba street and blew a high alcohol reading.

A TOOWOOMBA man who “borrowed” a friend’s car only to crash it into a power pole blew a breath/alcohol reading more than three times the legal limit.

Tuombe Kalisa had been at the friend’s place for a party on the night of July 1, 2021, but told others he was going home to change clothes in the early hours of the morning.

The woman party host told him to sleep on the couch and she would drive him home in the morning and she had gone to bed, Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard.

However, Kalisa had taken her car, without her permission, and driven to his home to change clothes but on the way back crashed into a power pole on Taylor St.

Police prosecutor Rohan Brewster-Webb told the court police arrived at the crash scene about 4.40am to find the 20-year-old smelling of liquor and complaining of chest pains.

Taken to Toowoomba Hospital, a sample of blood was taken which showed Kalisa at the time had a blood/alcohol content of 0.166, he said.

Tuombe Kalisa leaves Toowoomba Courthouse after pleading guilty to driving while under the influence and unlawfully using a motor vehicle.

Kalisa pleaded guilty to driving while under the influence of liquor and unlawful use of a motor vehicle arising from that incident as well as to driving without a licence on Holberton St on November 2 and breaching bail by failing to report to police on November 25.

Duty solicitor Nikola Prince told the court Kalisa was born in the Congo and spent years in a refugee camp before coming to Australia in 2018.

He was completing Year 12 studies while doing a Certificate 3 in Aged Care and was on Centrelink benefits, she said.

Kalisa had never intended not to return the vehicle and was driving back to the car owner’s place when the crash occurred, she said.

He had since apologised and paid $800 toward the insurance excess, she said.

Ms Prince asked that no conviction be recorded as that could have an effect on her client’s future work in aged care.

Acting Magistrate Kay Ryan ordered the convictions not be recorded and fined Kalisa $1200 and disqualified him from holding or obtaining driver’s licence for eight months.