NQ RACING TRAINER FACES COURT FOR SERIOUS OFFENCE

A TOWNSVILLE man hailing from a prominent north Queensland racing family received a “lenient” punishment for a serious offence involving a blood-alcohol reading almost five times the legal limit.

Leslie Gordy, 34, pleaded guilty at Innisfail Magistrates Court last week for driving under the influence of liquor.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Christie Mahoney told the court that at 5.20pm on September 27, police received several calls in relation to a Toyota Prado driving erratically on the Bruce Highway at Mourilyan.

Sgt Mahoney said officers intercepted the vehicle then saw open cans of alcohol inside and could smell liquor on Gordy’s breath.

“He had bloodshot eyes. He was swaying on the spot; he appeared to have spilt alcohol on his pants,” he said.

Gordy, who works as a locomotive maintainer at Nebo, west of Mackay, then returned a reading of 0.227 per cent.

Defence lawyer Rowan Pack labelled his client’s actions as “foolish”.

“On the evening before the incident, my client was meeting with some owners of race horses who had invited him to the casino, and he had a very big night,” Mr Pack said.

“It was about lunchtime Sunday (September 27), he was working on his shed … when his partner invited him to Etty Bay. He started travelling up to Etty Bay. It was a spur-of-themoment decision. He then foolishly stopped at Cardwell on the way up and consumed another five or six beers and then continued his journey.”

Mr Pack told the court that as a result of a long-term marriage breakdown last year, the horse trainer was suffering mental health problems.

“He accepts responsibility and is very remorseful,” he said.

Magistrate Cathy McLennan warned Gordy of reoffending in her “lenient” punishment as she disqualified his licence for nine months and fined him $1800.

Earlier this year, Gordy found himself in hot water with QRIC stewards who disqualified his horse Mighty Marmalade after a post-race urine sample of the horse found the prohibited substance arsenic.