Wynnum drink driving case study: a first high range offence at Wynnum
In this Wynnum drink driving case study, Boorman Lawyers appeared at Wynnum Magistrates Court in Brisbane on a high range drink driving offence with a reading of 0.157. The client was 46. He had been driving for about 29 years, with about 14 minor entries on his traffic record, but no prior drink or drug driving offences, no major traffic offences and no criminal record. Josh Boorman says he presented to the court as a normal, law-abiding citizen.
What happened
On the night of the offence, the client came straight home from work and poured himself three or four rum and Cokes. He ordered pizza, and when it was time to pick it up, his partner was in the shower, so he decided to drive about a kilometre down the road to collect it.
On the way back, police alleged that he almost sideswiped one of their vehicles. They pulled him over as he was getting into his home and breath tested him.
Work and the licence problem
The client is an electrician and a manager at quite a large company, with a number of staff under him, and he needs to drive for work. But because his reading was 0.15 or more, he was not eligible for a work licence. Our lawyer explains that the minimum disqualification for a first high range offence in Queensland is six months, so that is what they were pushing for.
Addressing the cause
The client completed the Traffic Offenders Program and provided evidence of it to the court. He also explained that he had taken a good, long, hard look at himself and believes he has suffered from alcoholism for the past 24 years of his adult life. Josh notes that alcoholism is not a crime in itself, but it is an underlying issue that goes to the root cause of the offending.
He had attended an initial meeting with Alcohol and Other Drug Services, a community-based alcohol counselling service, and had been abstinent since the offence.
The outcome
Because of his good record, the steps he had taken and his early plea of guilty, the magistrate was receptive to the case presented. He received:
- the minimum 6-month disqualification; and
- a fine reduced to $800.
The magistrate encouraged him to spread the word about the lessons he had learned from the Traffic Offenders Program. Our lawyer says he is unlikely to appear before the court again and describes it as a very good outcome.
Key general information (QLD)
General information only, not legal advice, as at October 2026. Every case turns on its own facts.
- Drink driving offences: In Queensland, drink driving offences are set out in the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995 (Qld).
- The broad penalty picture: For a first offence at 0.15 or more, TMR lists a minimum disqualification of 6 months, a maximum fine of $6,908 and up to 9 months’ imprisonment (as at October 2026; TMR notes fines rose by 3.5% on 1 July 2026).
- Work licences: Queensland has a “restricted licence”, commonly called a work licence, under section 87 of the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act 1995.
- Sentencing and convictions: Alongside the disqualification set under the road transport laws, the general sentencing law in Queensland is the Penalties and Sentences Act 1992 (Qld).
- The court process: Drink and drug driving charges in Queensland are dealt with in the Magistrates Court.
Further reading and related videos
Boorman Lawyers has more on appearing at Wynnum Magistrates Court, work licence eligibility after drink driving and the Traffic Offenders Program in Queensland. Its Queensland DUI site covers drink driving matters across Queensland.
On this site, see Josh’s explainer on high range drink driving in Queensland and a Brisbane drink driving case, or browse all Queensland and drink driving videos.
For people who are preparing to plead guilty without a lawyer, DIY DUI’s Wynnum page covers the local court and plea process. (DIY DUI is a self-help program for people preparing their own guilty plea. It is not legal representation and is not part of Boorman Lawyers.)
