RECKLESS DRIVER RAMS INTO COPS

Man on L-plates in unregistered vehicle reverses into police

POLICE have watched in awe at the stupidity of a drink-driver who reversed his car into their vehicle while at a service station, a court has heard.

The 25-year-old driver was on a booze run with a carton of rum beside him when he stopped at the servo and police nabbed him.

The learner driver was three times the legal alcohol limit and was driving an unregistered and uninsured car.

A LEARNER driver on a booze run was so intoxicated he reversed into a police car at a service station.

Ethan James Corporal, 25, appeared in Charters Towers Magistrates Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to driving while under the influence of liquor, driving without due care and attention, driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle, having cancelled number plates on a vehicle, failing to display L-plates as a learner and driving while unaccompanied as a learner.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Amanda Lawson said police spotted a Holden Commodore in a drive-through bottle shop at 10.10am on June 27 and checks revealed the car was unregistered and uninsured and had been for two years. They saw the car leave the bottle shop and head into Gill St before pulling up at a petrol station and they followed, turning on lights and sirens.

Sgt Lawson said police then saw the car reversing towards the marked police car and it came to a stop against the police car’s bullbar.

“Police exited the vehicle and the driver continued to attempt to reverse into the vehicle,” she said.

“Police went to the driver’s door, opened it and removed the keys from the ignition and then removed the driver from the vehicle.”

Corporal produced a learner’s licence identifying himself. He was the only person in the vehicle.

Sgt Lawson said police noticed a carton of rum in the front passenger seat and when they tested Corporal he produced a blood alcohol reading of 0.156 per cent.

He told police he had consumed several cans of spirits before driving.

Further police checks revealed the number plates on the vehicle had been cancelled and Corporal did not have an L-plate on display.

Defence solicitor Mikayla Ward said Corporal was remorseful for his actions.

She said he had been at a party the night before and was honest with police about how much alcohol he had drunk.

Magistrate Cathy Wadley fined Corporal $1100 for drinkdriving and disqualified him from holding a licence for 12 months.

For the charge of driving without due care and attention he received a fine of $300 and $100 each for driving an unregistered vehicle, driving an uninsured vehicle, driving while unaccompanied as a learner, failing to display L-plates and driving a vehicle with cancelled number plates.