Court slaps $500 fine on drunken driver of motorised esky in Noosa

The Noosa Journal ^ | 16 Aug 2011 | Brooke Hargraves

[smokingfrog]

Christopher Ian Petrie made national headlines last week after The Noosa Journal broke the story of the 23 year-old caught driving the four-stroke "extreme cooler" under the influence.

A packed Noosa Heads Magistrates Court heard Petrie and a friend had each purchased an esky online "for a bit of a giggle."

Defence lawyer Bernard Bradley said his client's esky was "suffering some mechanical problems" on the day in question so Petrie took it to a friend's house where he consumed a number of drinks while working on the esky's engine.

The court heard that when Petrie and his friend managed to get the esky started, they decided to take it for a "test drive" along Hastings Street where they were intercepted by police.

Prosecutor Senior Sergeant Tony Melmeth said the esky was travelling at "approximately 20 kilometres per hour" when officers intercepted the pair and carried out a random breath test on Noosa Parade.

Petrie registered a 0.160 per cent blood alcohol level and told police he did not have a licence.

Mr Bradley told magistrate John Parker that his client "didn't realise the esky was classified as a motor vehicle" and had not intended to break the law.

[6SJ7]

There are no moose in Noosa. Noosa is where the kangaroos are loosa.

LOL!