Five cop penalties for driving with drugs in their system
FIVE defendants appeared in the Ingham Magistrates Court on the same day to face drugdriving charges.
In the first case, Kieran Mark Valenti, 26, admitted in the Ingham Magistrates Court on September 9 to driving with the presence of cannabis in his system, after he tested positive to the drug following a roadside test on South Mission Beach Rd on April 15. The defendant was on a probationary licence at the time.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Erin Collis said that, when Valenti was stopped by a police patrol at 11am, he was driving with a female passenger and three children in his vehicle.
She said the defendant, who had a prior conviction for drug driving in the last five years, claimed he had smoked a joint a week ago, which caused Acting Magistrate Rowan Silva to raise his eyebrows.
Defence lawyer Darren Robinson said his client had recently been released from prison but was turning his life around.
He said his client’s partner had three children from a previous relationship and the couple were expecting their first child together in October this year.
The defendant had begun an adult boiler-making apprenticeship with a Townsville-based industrial solutions company, he said.
Valenti was convicted, fined $300 and disqualified from driving for four months.
TAHNEE Jane Sibley, a Townsville chef, admitted to driving with cannabis in her system after she was pulled over by police on Mcilwraith Street in Ingham, at 4.35pm on June 29.
Constable Collis said Sibley, 29, who had no previous convictions of a like nature, admitted to using marijuana the previous night.
Sibley was convicted, fined $350 and disqualified from driving for one month.
CARL Christopher Gottani admitted to drug-driving,
testing positive to the presence of cannabis when he was stopped by Rollingstone Police at Mutarnee on the Bruce Highway, on May 15.
The defendant, 48, a fencer in the agricultural industry, also admitted to possession of a small amount of cannabis and possession of a pipe in relation to the same traffic stop.
Constable Collis said Gottani had a prior conviction on the same charge within the last five years.
Defence lawyer Sarah Belford said the marijuana was for her client’s personal use.
On the charge of drug-driving, Gottani was convicted, fined $500 and disqualified from driving for three months.
On the criminal drug charges, the defendant was fined $400 but no convictions were recorded.
PAUL Robert Colson admitted to two charges of driving on a provisional licence with the presence of methylamphetamine in his system on May 28 and both ice and cannabis in his system on July 1.
He also pleaded guilty to possessing cannabis in relation to the July 1 intercept by Ingham Police.
Constable Collis said Colson, 42, an unemployed machinery operator, had a significant traffic and criminal history and was on a probation order at the time of the latest offending.
She said that, in the first incident, the defendant was stopped in Cartwright Street in Ingham at 10.15am and, in the
second incident, was spotted by Ingham Police leaving a house known for its “drug activity” at 9.30am.
“They’ve performed a Uturn to attempt to catch up to that vehicle but it’s driven away and has made a number of turns before it was located at an address in Davidson Street, Ingham,” Constable Collis said.
“(Officers) approached the vehicle … the defendant has got out of that vehicle and attempted to walk away (but) police have stopped him and he’s made admissions to attempting to avoid them.”
Defence lawyer Sarah Belford said her client was undertaking serious attempts to address his addictions.
On the drug-driving charges, Colson was convicted, fined $550 and disqualified from driving for six months.
On the criminal drug charge, the defendant was convicted and fined $200.
ROBERT Jarod Clough, 19, pleaded guilty to drug-driving after a traffic intercept on the Bruce Highway at Bambaroo on July 9.
Constable Collis said Clough tested positive to the presence of cannabis when stopped at traffic lights at 6.30pm.
Defence lawyer Ms Belford told the court her client was expected to start work as a concreter and urged the minimum mandatory three months given the earlier drug-driving conviction.
Clough was convicted, fined $350 and disqualified from driving for three months.