Speeding drug driver crashed on roundabout

STRESSES brought on by a violent relationship had driven a Toowoomba man back to drug use which culminated in him crashing his car into another vehicle on a roundabout.

Anthony Jon Bradley had been driving on Robina Parkway in excess of the 80kmh speed limit about 6am, June 16, last year when he smashed into another vehicle at a roundabout.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Natalie Bugden told Toowoomba Magistrates Court that the driver of the other vehicle had sustained rib injuries and a cut above her eye.

Appearing to be affected by drugs, a sample was taken from the 25-year-old Bradley which was later found to contain amphetamine and methylamphetamine, she said.

The defendant had admitted to police to doing about 100kmh and hadn’t seen the roundabout, Sgt Bugden said.

He pleaded guilty to drug driving.

Barrister David Jones, for Bradley, told the court his client had negotiated a probation order successfully in the past and asked the court to impose another term of probation for him.

At one point in his past, his client had had a daily amphetamine habit but had become free of drug use.

However, on this occasion he had relapsed into drug use after a stressful domestic relationship, he submitted.

As a result of the crash, his client had also sustained some injuries and was now $30,000 in debt due to having to cover costs of the damaged vehicles.

Bradley was seeing a doctor, psychologist and case worker for counselling, Mr Jones said.

Magistrate Viviana Keegan said it was fortunate that those involved in the crash were not more seriously injured.

Ms Keegan placed Bradley on two years probation to include random drug testing and disqualified him from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for six months.