Qld mayor sentenced to community service

Cheryl Goodenough | August 1, 2022

A Queensland mayor who returned a blood alcohol test of more than three times the legal limit has been sentenced to community service after watching graphic footage of crashes.

Redland Mayor Karen Williams drove her vehicle into a tree in Cleveland, southeast of Brisbane, after leaving the council offices on June 23.

The 55-year-old pleaded guilty in Cleveland Magistrates Court on Monday while about 20 activists protested outside.

Magistrate Deborah Vasta sentenced Williams to 80 hours of community service, saying she believed the mayor was deserving of forgiveness and a second chance.

But first she showed a graphic drink-driving awareness video in court, saying it was a regular part of her proceedings for traffic offenders.

So far this year 172 people have been killed on Queensland roads this year, making it the worst road toll in 30 years, Ms Vasta said.

She also said Williams had paid and will continue to pay very heavily for the mistakes she made that day.

The court was told Williams had four glasses of wine after finalising the council’s budget and not eating since 6pm the previous day.

Williams was issued with a notice to appear in court on a charge of driving under the influence of liquor after returning a blood alcohol concentration of 0.177 per cent.

No one was injured when the car she was driving left the road, travelled through a fence and struck a tree.

Williams has been on unpaid leave since being given the notice to appear.

She has been disqualified from driving for six months and no conviction has been recorded.