Isa mayor busted drink-driving

A HIGH-PROFILE North Queensland mayor who once said young people could not behave on full-strength beer was among 30 North Queenslanders charged with drink-driving at the weekend.

Mount Isa Mayor John Molony was caught behind the wheel at more than twice the legal limit, returning a blood alcohol reading of 0.111. The 69-year-old was charged after being stopped on Marian St about 9.45pm on New Year's Eve.

Cr Molony was reluctant to comment on the incident yesterday.

"You've got to be careful on the actual specifics of this," he said.

"I'm not going to get into technical terms. I'm not going to comment on the situation."

He will face Mount Isa Magistrates Court later this month.

The mayor's comments on young drinkers were made in 2008 in a story about the introduction of rules banning the sale of full-strength alcohol at regional events.

"There has been some criticism from the organisers of some of these events but at the end of the day this was brought about by the behaviour of young people who for some reason or other can't behave on full-strength," he said at the time.

Despite increased police presence and a crackdown on drink-driving, 30 offences were recorded in the North on Saturday and Sunday.

The haul included a 25-year-old man who blew 0.291, more than five times over the legal limit, and a 29-year-old Hervey Bay woman who blew 0.218 on Saunders St, South Townsville, about 4am yesterday.

The Townsville man, who did not have a licence, was caught on Denham St in the CBD about 2pm.

Another man recorded a similarly high reading in Mount Isa at the weekend.
Police said yesterday it was distressing motorists were still ignoring the rules about driving while under the influence of alcohol.

Townsville Police Acting Inspector Tony Melrose said it was disappointing people were still choosing to drink-drive. "We constantly broadcast the same message and again people choose not to listen," he said.

"Our continual message is to organise transport plans earlier if intending to drink and to stick to it."

Mount Isa Duty Sergeant Ben Palmer said police had ramped up RBT sites across the city, setting up numerous random and static sites over the weekend.

He said seven drink-drivers were caught in the Mount Isa area, among these was a 24-year-old Mount Isa man who blew 0.298 while driving unlicensed.

"He was caught just shy of five times over the limit, It's distressing that people still choose to do this," he said.

He said high visibility policing over the Christmas and New Year period was supposed to discourage bad behaviour on the roads.

Source: http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2012/01/02/294711_news.html

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