Car over cliff, man over limit

Driver blows almost five times legal limit

A MAN who drove off a “cliff” at the side of the road was found to be almost five times over the drink-driving limit, Toowoomba Magistrates Court has been told.

Nanango police called to a single motor vehicle accident on Muir Drive outside the South Burnett town found a black Holden hatchback “about 10m over a cliff” about 12.10pm, Friday, June 9, police prosecutor Sergeant Mike Robinson told the court.

Standing nearby on a mobile phone was Joel David Stevens who admitted to being the driver of the car and that he had had some alcohol earlier.

After a road-side breath test proved positive, the 35-year-old was taken to the police station for a breath analysis which returned a breath/alcohol reading of 0.234, Sgt Robinson said.

Sgt Robinson told the court the defendant had appeared remorseful and was very co-operative with police.

Stevens pleaded guilty to driving while under the influence of liquor.

His solicitor Elizabeth Adams (Kennedy Spanner Lawyers) told the court her client was not a regular drinker but at the time had been going through personal struggles.

Her client had lost a very close friend just weeks earlier and he was going through a grieving process at the time but realised the risk he had put to other road users and to himself by his driving that day.

Her client, who was now receiving counselling for his issues, worked in the banking industry and regularly drove to clients and loss of his driver’s licence would impact significantly on his work, Ms Adams submitted.

Magistrate Catherine Pirie said driving with such a high breath/alcohol level was dangerous.

“That is a reading of gross intoxication on a public road,” she said.

“Unfortunately, drink-driving and drug-driving are prevalent.”

Acknowledging Stevens had no previous history of such offending, Ms Pirie ordered the conviction not be recorded but fined him $2000 and disqualified him from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for 12 months.

❝That is a reading of gross intoxication on a public road.

— Magistrate Catherine Pirie