By JOLENE OGLE
After a few months’ reprieve, Noosa Magistrates’ Court was once again flooded with drink driving offenders on Tuesday.
Sixteen people appeared charged with drink driving on Noosa roads over the past month, with many of the blood alcohol content (BAC) readings in the mid to high range.
Of those who appeared, the highest reading was from a Noosa man who blew 0.276 per cent at a random breath testing site on David Low Way on 24 January.
The man said he couldn’t recall the “matter”, but was deeply embarrassed and had since stopped drinking.
Magistrate Annette Hennessy sentenced the man to 12 months’ probation.
He was also fined $700 and disqualified from driving for 20 months.
Another high reading came from a 33-year-old woman who pleaded guilty to driving with a BAC of 0.216 per cent on Sunshine Beach Road on 20 January.
The woman was fined $1500 and disqualified from driving for 15 months.
No conviction was recorded.
A 26-year-old woman, who was driving her friend to hospital on 24 January, also pleaded guilty to driving with a BAC of 0.133 per cent.
She was fined $700 and disqualified from driving for seven months.
A Tewantin man also pleaded guilty to drink driving after knocking a cyclist off their bike on Memorial Avenue, Tewantin, on 20 November.
The man said he had been out at lunch and didn’t remember hitting anyone with his car.
He returned a BAC reading of 0.121 per cent when he was taken to the police station.
The influx of drink driving offenders was matched only by the number of unlicensed drivers appearing in Noosa Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
Fifteen people appeared charged with driving without a licence, many of whom said they didn’t realise their licence had been suspended by SPER.
