Banned after red light nap

Donna Michelle Bosgra.

A TOWNSVILLE real estate agent’s blood alcohol reading was more than four times the legal limit when police found her asleep at a red light.

Donna Michelle Bosgra, 51, has been slapped with a $2000 fine and banned from the roads for the next year.

On August 4 this year, she woke up after a heavy night of drinking, went to the gym and then started driving to work.

The last thing she can remember before police woke her about 9.30am was stopping at a red light at the intersection of Ross River Road and Riverway Drive.

When she was breath tested, Bosgra returned a result of 0.220 per cent.

Bosgra pleaded guilty in the Townsville Magistrates Court yesterday to driving under the influence of liquor. Magistrate Steven Mosch labelled her behaviour “very concerning”.

Police prosecutor Senior Sergeant Felicity Nalder told the court another motorist flagged down police after noticing Bosgra asleep at the wheel.

Ms Nalder said when officers spoke with her, Bosgra appeared “clear and coherent”.

Police requested she undertake a breath test after smelling liquor on her breath.

“The defendant admitted that she had been drinking vodka during the night and that she had stopped drinking between 3am and 5am,” Ms Nalder said.

Defence lawyer Richard Scholl said the matter was “completely out of character” for his client, who was regarded as an upstanding member of the community.

He said Bosgra has been employed in the real estate and motor industries for 18 years.

Mr Scholl said Bosgra and a cousin had an “unplanned and spontaneous” celebration that night after the family worked to overcome a tragic loss.

“My client does not normally drink vodka and it is something out of the ordinary for her and she severely underestimated the effect,” he said.

Mr Scholl said Bosgra was

“absolutely shocked” level of her reading.

In sentencing, Mr Mosch said he took into account Bosgra’s limited traffic history and standing in the community.

He said it was fortunate her manner of driving was not out of control and that her actions did not injure any other road users.

“You should not have been driving,” he said.

Bosgra was fined $2000 and was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

A conviction was recorded. by the