Recidivist offender went straight – but for one ‘tumultuous’ day

‘The grog is his problem’, the 35-year-old’s solicitor told the Toowoomba Murri Court.

The 35-year-old man appeared before the Toowoomba Murri Court.

BUT for one “tumultuous day”, a 35-year-old man with a shocking criminal history had turned his life around thanks to the intervention of the Murri Court system.

Douglas Colin Draper had a “dreadful” criminal history of 10 pages, his solicitor Peter Sloane told Toowoomba Murri Court.

“But on a positive note, he hasn’t reoffended since being in the Murri Court system.”

Draper had appeared before the court to plead guilty to five offences, all committed on what Mr Sloane described as “a tumultuous day” on February 8, last year.

That morning, his partner had woken at her Kearneys Spring home to find Draper had taken the keys to her car which he had driven off in without her knowledge or permission.

About 7.25am, Draper had driven away from a Drayton Road, Harristown, 7/11 service station without paying $40.59 for the fuel he had pumped into the car, police prosecutor Al Windsor told the court.

About 4.10pm, police had found the 35-year-old driving in St George and was pulled over and breath tested at 0.215, Sergeant Windsor said.

Draper told police he had been drinking wine and had stopped at Oakey and had five or six cans of beer on his way to St George.

Police checks found Draper’s licence had been suspended six days earlier, the court heard.

Draper pleaded guilty to unlawfully using a motor vehicle, driving while under the influence of liquor, stealing fuel, driving on a suspended licence and breaching a court order.

“The grog is his problem,” Mr Sloane said of his client.

However, his client had reduced his alcohol consumption by 90%, he was still with his partner and was engaging with the Murri Court system, he said.

Acting Magistrate Damien Carroll placed Draper on two years probation, ordered he pay $40.59 restitution and disqualified him from driving for seven months.