A country court in western Queensland
In this Chinchilla drink driving case study, Joshua Boorman appeared at Chinchilla Magistrates Court, in the Western Downs about three to four hours west of Brisbane. As he puts it, it is a typical Queensland country town with a police station and a courthouse, and people get charged with drink driving there.
His client was a father and husband charged with a low range drink driving offence. The reading was 0.064.
What happened
Our client had friends over for dinner at his home. Earlier in the night he drank a long neck of VB. He then made an impulsive, last-minute decision to drive to the supermarket for supplies.
He was pulled over for a random breath test. There was nothing unusual about his driving, he was alone in the car, and he cooperated with police.
Why the disqualification mattered
He works as a painter and is the sole income earner for his family. He needs to drive to get to job sites and to carry equipment and materials.
He had recently moved up from Sydney and was still on a New South Wales licence. Joshua explains that this made him ineligible to apply for a work licence. That meant the length of the disqualification would directly affect his ability to work.
Joshua explains that a disqualification was mandatory, in a range of 1 to 9 months. The aim was to secure the one-month minimum.
Chinchilla drink driving case study: how Joshua Boorman prepared the case
- He completed the Traffic Offenders Program.
- He wrote a letter of apology.
- His wife attended court and provided a letter.
- He obtained a letter from his boss.
Joshua says he did all the right things.
The outcome
- the one-month minimum disqualification;
- no conviction recorded; and
- a $350 fine.
Joshua describes a very happy client and says he does not think the man is at risk of reoffending.
What this case shows
For a low reading, a short, impulsive trip and a person with real family and work responsibilities, careful preparation gave the court good reason to impose the minimum. Because the interstate licence ruled out a work licence, the length of the disqualification mattered all the more. Every case is different, and outcomes depend on the facts.
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: TMR describes a 24-hour suspension where the reading is under 0.10, and an immediate suspension, lasting until the charge is dealt with, for mid and high range charges and some other situations.
- Work licences: Queensland has a “restricted licence”, commonly called a work licence, under section 87 of the Transport Operations (Road Use Management) Act. TMR’s restricted licence page explains that the application is made to the magistrate after a finding of guilt and before the disqualification is imposed.
- 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 Chinchilla, Toowoomba and the Darling Downs and Queensland drink driving penalties. Its Queensland site covers drink driving matters across Queensland.
On this site, see a Cairns case where a NSW licence ruled out a work licence and a Brisbane low range matter, or browse all Queensland and drink driving videos.
For people who are preparing to plead guilty without a lawyer, DIY DUI’s guide to drink and drug driving charges at Chinchilla 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.)
