August 22, 2013
A pregnant woman driving home after a night out swerved to miss pedestrians crossing the road, mounted the footpath and ended up with her car on top of a metal fence, Kingaroy Magistrates Court was told today.
Police Prosecutor Sgt Wayne Bushell said Yasmein O’Donoghue told police she had been drinking wine at a Kingaroy hotel and was driving home to Wattle Camp when the incident occurred in Haly Street, Kingaroy, on July 20.
Sgt Bushell said her blood alcohol concentration was 0.085.
He said she had no traffic history but she also only had a Learner’s Permit so by law her alcohol level should have been zero. She also should have been accompanied by a licensed driver in the car.
O’Donoghue pleaded guilty to drink driving and failing to comply with her Learner’s Permit conditions.
Magistrate Mark Bucknall told her she had put innocent people at real risk.
He fined her $700 and disqualified her from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for six months.
* * *
Also in Kingaroy Magistrates Court today:
Nanango man Drew Oliver Jackson was committed to face trial in the Supreme Court on a charge of trafficking in dangerous drugs.
Jackson also faces five drug supply charges plus one charge each of drug possession, possessing drug utensils, possessing tainted property and possessing explosives without an authority.
* * *
A 28-year-old man has been fined $1100 and disqualified from driving for 12 months after pleading guilty to driving with a BAC of 0.164.
Police pulled over Bradley James Kelly in Walter Road at Kingaroy at 4:02am on July 21 this year.
Magistrate Mark Bucknall said it was Kelly’s third conviction for drink driving.
* * *
An unlicensed motorbike rider who took a four-year-old child for a ride down a nature strip on an unregistered, uninsured, non-roadworthy motorbike – when neither were wearing helmets – pleaded guilty to six charges.
Matthew Trent Cowan, from Kingaroy, admitted riding the Honda motorbike on the nature strip in Baron Street, Kingaroy, but said it was the only way he could get from the front gate to the back gate of his property.
Police Prosecutor Sgt Wayne Bushell said the pee-wee type motorbike did not comply with Australian Design Rules and could not be registered in Queensland.
However he said this was not a simple case of someone not knowing that riding the bike on the road was illegal as Cowan had been before the court twice previously on similar charges.
Magistrate Mark Bucknall said Cowan had appeared before him on July 25, less than two weeks before the latest offences had been committed.
“It seems the only way we can attract your attention is to increase the penalty,” Mr Bucknall said.
He fined Cowan $900 and disqualified him from holding or obtaining a licence for three months.
Sgt Bushell then applied to have the motorbike in question impounded, but Cowan said it did not belong to him.
By consent of both parties, Magistrate Bucknall ordered Cowan perform 80 hours of community service in lieu of having the bike impounded for three months.
* * *
A charge of attempted murder against Nanango woman Kay Te Atarangi Lyons was adjourned to October 3 for mention.
Police Prosecutor Sgt Wayne Bushell said forensic evidence was still being prepared.
Magistrate Mark Bucknall granted the adjournment but noted that Lyons was being held in custody “and we need to be mindful of that”.
He said if the forensic material was not available at the next court date, the prosecution would have to detail exactly what was outstanding and confirm when it would be available.
* * *
A string of 28 charges against Glen Robert Hunter – including various drugs and dishonesty counts and a charge of serious assault – have been adjourned to October 3. Hunter appeared by videolink in Kingaroy Magistrates Court today.
