June 20, 2013
A drunken tailgater who chased a car in a road rage incident from Wooroolin to near Murgon on Wednesday afternoon, causing the occupants to fear for their lives, was sentenced to nine months’ jail when he appeared in Kingaroy Magistrates Court today.
William Leslie Twaddle, 41, pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle, failing to provide a breath specimen and two acts of indecency.
He also pleaded guilty to a separate drink-driving charge from April 21.
Police Prosecutor Sgt Wayne Bushell said a vehicle containing two adults and three children turned out in front of Twaddle on the Bunya Highway at Wooroolin about 2.40pm.
Twaddle drove his car up from behind to sit on their tail in a “road rage”-type incident.
The occupants of the front vehicle told police Twaddle was driving so closely in the 100km/h zone they could not see his numberplate.
When they sped up in an attempt to get away, he sped up as well.
When they tried to slow down and pull over, he slowed down behind them, too.
At one stage he crossed double white lines to draw alongside the front car before dropping back behind.
Sgt Bushell said Twaddle attempted this manoeuvre about 10 times between Tingoora and Wondai.
At Wondai, the front car attempted to shake off Twaddle by taking the “short cut” used by locals via Hodge Street and Edwards Street back to the highway.
However Twaddle followed and crossed onto the wrong side of the road to avoid the chicanes which have been installed in Edwards Street.
Both cars then re-entered the Bunya Highway.
Witnesses said Twaddle was travelling at speeds up to 120km/h.
At one point, he pulled to overtake again, ignoring a white LandCruiser which was coming in the opposite direction. The 4WD began flashing its lights and the three vehicles passed within inches of each other.
Police were alerted and pulled over Twaddle near Krebbs Bridge on the outskirts of Murgon.
They found the vehicle was unregistered, uninsured, had four bald tyres, broken tail lights and headlights, and a broken boot latch.
Twaddle blew 0.207 in a roadside breath test.
Twaddle co-operated with police on the side of the road, however when they took him back to Murgon police station, he became unco-operative, refusing to provide a breath specimen for testing at the station.
And when asked to identify himself, he removed all his clothing and refused to get dressed again.
Later, when a police officer entered his cell to ask him to sign some paperwork, Twaddle – still naked – thrust his penis at her.
Sgt Bushell said there was no indication Twaddle knew the occupants of the vehicle that he had been chasing.
He said it had been a “disaster waiting to happen”. He tendered two statements to the court from the occupants of the car.
Solicitor Alan Korobacz, for Twaddle, said his client had been drinking with friends when he decided to visit his family.
“He has no recollection of events thereafter except scattered recollections of police asking him to stop, which he did,” Mr Korobacz said.
“My client is very sorry and remorseful about his actions and behaviour and extremely embarrassed.”
On the first drink-driving charge, Magistrate Mark Bucknall fined Twaddle $450 and disqualified him from driving for three months.
On the most serious charge, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, he was sentenced to nine months’ jail and disqualified from driving for 30 months. A parole release date was set for October 19.
On the other charges, Twaddle was fined $2000 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.
