No driving for repeat offender

A STRING of traffic offences has put a Toowoomba man off the road for at least the next two years.

Benjamin Lukas Crosby appeared before Toowoomba Magistrates Court to plead guilty to a list of traffic violations including two drug driving offences.

The 27-year-old had been caught driving at 94kmh in an 80kmh zone on October 3 last year in South Brisbane, then speeding again on the Warrego Highway at Withcott when he was caught doing 76kmh in the 60kmh zone on November 3, police prosecutor Sergeant Natalie Bugden told the court.

He had then been caught driving on a suspended driver’s licence at Cleveland.

Crosby had then tested positive for marijuana in his system when pulled over by police on Ruthven St, Toowoomba, about 6pm, May 5, and again when his saliva was tested after being pulled over by police on Bridge St about 8pm, May 17.

He pleaded guilty to all charges.

His solicitor Amber Acreman told the court her client instructed he had smoked marijuana in the days leading up to being pulled over in May.

Her client had since sought counselling and planned on relocating to Chinchilla for work.

Magistrate Graham Lee noted Crosby had two previous drink-driving offences and another drug driving offence in the past five years.

He said the nine months probation he had been handed last year obviously hadn’t worked.

However, Mr Lee said he would give Crosby another chance and placed him on 18 months probation to include random testing for illicit drugs, fined him a total $981 and disqualified him from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for two years.