Crazy drive leads to jail

A 27-YEAR-OLD drug driver who sped on a busy highway while driving on the rims of his wheels has been handed a jail term by a Toowoomba court.

Police received multiple calls from drivers on the Pacific Motorway on September 27, 2021, after seeing Leroy Henry Killiby driving at speed on the rims of his wheels, swerving across lanes and in and out of vehicles forcing other drivers to take evasive action.

Killiby had also overtaken cars while driving on the shoulders of the highway and narrowly avoided a number of collisions with other vehicles, Toowoomba Magistrates Court heard.

When eventually stopped by police, Killiby had tried to run off but was soon caught, police prosecutor Chris Willson told the court.

Testing positive for cannabis, the 27-year-old was taken to hospital due to his behaviour but he became belligerent with police and tried to grab an officer’s taser, he said.

Senior Constable Willson said Killiby was uncooperative and police had to carry him into the hospital.

Killiby pleaded guilty to dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, drug driving, unlicensed driving and two counts of obstructing police arising from those incidents as well as to unrelated matters of public nuisance, obstructing police and common assault on August 11, 2021, and to public nuisance on licensed premises on October 1, 2021.

He also failed to appear in court on November 10 and 12, the court heard.

His solicitor Jag MacDonald said his client self-medicated with cannabis for mental health issues and had spent 10 days in an acute mental health unit.

His client had spent 77 days in presentence custody which had been difficult because as he was subject to daily lockdowns of 20 hours due to overcrowding, he said.

Upon his release from jail, Killiby intended living in Beenleigh, Mr MacDonald said.

Magistrate Tina Previtera noted the reason Killiby was unlicensed was due to medical grounds.

Telling him he was fortunate noone was killed or seriously injured, Ms Previtera sentenced Killiby to nine months and 21 days in jail but, declaring 77 days as time served, ordered he be released on parole forthwith.

Killiby was disqualified from driving for a total 11 months.