Drink driver disqualifiedA 34-year-old man stopped for speeding on Kendall Avenue has faced Queanbeyan Local Court charged with low-range drink driving.
Queanbeyan resident Simon Daniel Ware was stopped at 12.26am on December 31 after police clocked his car travelling more than 75 km/h in a 50km/h zone.
After he was pulled over he was subject to a roadside breath test which returned a positive result. He allegedly had a blood alcohol concentration of 0.078. Ware told police he drank one and a quarter glass of wine that night.
His car registration had also expired two day prior to the offence. In court on Monday Ware pleaded guilty to driving and unregistered motor vehicle and low-range drink driving.
Magistrate Chris Bone fined him $400 and disqualified him from driving for three months.
Drunken slumber punished
A QUEANBEYAN man who refused a breath test after he was found asleep in his car in a McDonald’s car park has lost his driver’s licence for 12 months.
Benjamin George Addy, 23, came to the attention of bystanders when he hit a hedge as he drove through the Waniassa Street car park at 1.10am on November 12.
After ordering food from the drive-through he parked, ate and fell asleep. Witnesses, concerned about his driving, contacted police.
When police arrived they tried to wake the sleeping man without success. He woke up after officers splashed water in his face. Police allege Addy was “seriously affected by alcohol” and asked him to undergo breath analysis. He refused, telling officers he wasn’t driving his car.
He was arrested and taken to Queanbeyan Police Station where he continued to fail breath tests by not blowing when requested. Addy pleaded guilty to failing to undergo breath analysis in Queanbeyan Local Court on Monday.
Magistrate Chris Bone said the penalty for refusing a test was the same as high-range drink driving. He said Addy’s refusal was an act of defiance.
“We know very soon what kind of drinker we are, whether we are a good drunk or a bad one,” Magistrate Bone said. “By the time you are 23, drunk isn’t an explanation of your actions it is an excuse.”
Addy was also placed on a nine-month good behaviour bond and fined $650.
Police subdue electrical worker
A QUEANBEYAN electrical worker who was OC sprayed after he yelled obscenities at police appeared in Queanbeyan Local Court on Monday.
Huia Garmonsway, 27, pleaded guilty to behaving in an offensive manner in a public place after an incident on December 17.
Police were called to the Crawford Street taxi rank after reports of a fight at about 11.35pm. While speaking with police Garmonsway became agitated and began to yell obscenities at members of the public.
He was warned several times to calm down. Police allege he then became agitated, threatened a friend and assumed a fighting stance.
Fearing an assault police deployed OC spray. Garmonsway was restrained by four officers and taken to Queanbeyan Police station.
In court on Monday Magistrate Chris Bone heard Garmonsway had left Walsh’s Hotel and tried to break up a fight between one of his friends and another man.
Magistrate Bone said that many people on the streets after midnight were intoxicated and police were responsible for maintaining order.
He said even if Garmonsway had good intentions, because of his level of intoxication they may not have come across as such.
“If you have to make a point, do it quietly and don’t swear,” Magistrate Bone said. “No one can get their point across as well as they hope when they are drunk.”
Garmonsway was placed on a 12-month good behaviour bond.
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