Repeat drink-driver freed
A PREGNANT Cairns jockey has been ordered off the road for three years and put on probation after being busted behind the wheel almost four times over the limit.
Amanda Thomson, 31, is due to give birth on Friday and was once named Townsville’s apprentice jockey of the year.
But she was caught with a blood alcohol limit of 0.195 per cent after being pulled over by police on Mt Peter Rd at Edmonton driving to get some food about 9.45am on December 18 last year.
It is the latest in a string of indiscretions by the rider who received a five-month riding ban in November last year after failing a breath test during track work.
She was also suspended from race riding for a month in 2018 over an abusive text message sent to another jockey.
The Cairns Magistrates Court heard yesterday she had two previous drink-driving convictions, including one from July last year – five months before this latest offence.
She lost her licence for nine months that time, meaning she was also charged with disqualified driving when caught in December.
She pleaded guilty to both charges on Tuesday morning.
Defence solicitor Bebe Mellick told the court his client, who appeared in court heavily pregnant, was due to give birth to her first child on Friday.
He said she previously had an “alcohol abuse and dependence” problem, but had abstained from booze since being caught. He told the court she had been forced to give up track work in March due to her pregnancy, so currently had no income and was dependent on her partner.
Magistrate Alan Comans said he “certainly came close” to jailing Thomson given the high reading and prior offences.
“It’s dangerous and it endangers public safety,” he said.
“For some people in your situation who persistently drink-drive … it can warrant (jail time).”
He sentenced her to 12 months probation and disqualified her licence for a total of three years – a combined total of one year for drink-driving and two years for disqualified driving.