L driver cops ban after DUI

A LEARNER driver has been banned from the roads for three months after she was caught drunk driving almost three times the legal limit without a supervisor.

Police intercepted the 20year-old woman on University Road while she was travelling almost 30km/h above the speed limit.

Annalese Maree MorganHills, 20, faced the Townsville Magistrates Court yesterday where she pleaded guilty to drink driving while on a learner’s licence, disobeying the speed limit, driving without an instructor and not displaying “L” plates.

Prosecutor Tasman Murphy said officers intercepted her car on July 10 this year.

Mr Murphy said she had been travelling about 109km/h in the 80km zone.

“Ultimately she was breath-tested and a reading of 0.132 per cent was ascertained in subsequent testing,” he said.

“It is aggravated by the fact that the defendant is on a learner’s driver’s licence.”

Barrister Alex Raeburn from Cullinane Chambers said Morgan-hills did not take into consideration her alcohol consumption or her restricted licence when she got behind the wheel that night.

“My client was out that night having a celebration with friends and she has some issues with anxiety,” he said.

“Her anxiety got the better of her and she wanted to simply leave the situation she was in.

“There was an emotionally controlling relationship she was in at the time … as a consequence, there was just a desire to get home and that meant she left without a supervisor,” he said.

Mr Raeburn said MorganHills had no relevant offending on her history and that she had been unable to drive for almost four months since her licence was immediately suspended when she was pulled over.

He asked Magistrate Ken Taylor to impose the minimum possible penalty and take into the totality of her sentence including the impact of losing demerit points.

Mr Taylor said MorganHill put other road users in danger when she could have called a cab.

He fined her $1200 and disqualified her from driving for three months.