Driving without a licence
At Stanthorpe Magistrates Court last Wednesday, an 18-yr-old pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle while not holding a licence.
He pleaded guilty to the charge.
On 27 April this year, his licence was disqualified for three months due to a drink driving offence and was set to end on 26 July.
However, at 6.30pm on 12 July, he was found driving on High Street, as observed by an off-duty officer.
The defendant said he was driving his partner’s mother as she does not have a working vehicle.
The 18-year-old’s representation said her client drove thinking he might be exempted due to the circumstances.
“It was a risky and impulsive decision without thinking of the outcome,” she said.
The Magistrate said he would take it into account and as a result, was requested to stay out of trouble for six months, otherwise he would face a $600 fine with a potential two-year licence disqualification.
Drunk driver charged
On 10 July at Applethorpe, a 20-year-old male was found driving over the general alcohol limit on the New England Highway (0 .055) and pleaded guilty to the offence at last week’s Stanthorpe Magistrates Court.
His representation said he had shown remorse for his actions – he consumed alcohol the night before and did not realise it was still in his system, being pulled over for a random breath test.
The Magistrate issued a restrictive licence for two months, restricting his driving to between 5am and 8am, Monday to Friday.
“You must only travel between your place of employment and maintain a log book – failure to comply, then two months becomes a full licence disqualification with an additional three months on the end,” he said.
Willful damage and stealing charges
On 30 July, a 23-year-old male pleaded guilty to one count of willful damage at last week’s Stanthorpe Magistrates Court.
The defendant went to the laundromat with his girlfriend and his representation said he had been drinking, getting into a verbal argument.
The defendant slammed and kicked the businesses door as a result, causing significant damage.
It cost $830 to pay for the door, and the defendant said he was willing to and was looking at issues around alcohol.
On the same court day, a 38-year-old woman was charged with stealing.
At 3.25pm on 12 May, she attempted to steal a number of items from Stanthorpe Woolworths, and paid for some inexpensive items.
However, her actions were caught on CCTV footage and she did not appear at the station for her fingerprints to be taken on 23 June.
But on 4 July, she voluntarily went to the police station.
The woman is a stay-at-home mum and said she had been finding it tough to survive and does not have a car, which did not excuse her behaviour – “she was just desperate”.
As a result, she was sentenced to two months in jail wholly suspended, and no conviction was recorded.
