Cops catch driver twice

A GLENVALE man caught drink-driving twice in a week has been ordered off the roads for more than two years.

Ngong Anyang Chol hadn’t realised his driver’s licence had been suspended by SPER (State Penalties Enforcement Register) when he was pulled over by police on Cashmere St, Glenvale, about 11.25pm, March 7.

He told police he had three beers with lunch and two wines with dinner and thought he’d be okay to drive home from a friend’s place, Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard.

However, he blew a breath/alcohol reading of 0.052 and because he was unlicensed at the time his licence was disqualified until he had the matter dealt with by the court.

Just a week later on March 14, he was again stopped by police, this time about 2.40am on Whitefield St, Glenvale, and blew a breath alcohol reading of 0.127, police prosecutor Bettina Trenear told the court.

Chol 32, pleaded guilty to both drink-driving offences as well as to driving unlicensed and driving while disqualified.

His solicitor Joe McConnell, of McConnell and Saldumbide Lawyers, told the court his client hadn’t realised that his licence had been SPER suspended at the time.

On the first occasion his client had been driving around the corner from his fiance’s home and on the second he had been moving a car at his fiance’s request, he said.

Chol had worked at Beef City for 12 years and would rely on colleagues to give him a lift to work, he said.

Magistrate Damian Carroll fined Chol $1250 and disqualified him from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for a total two years and seven months.