A Fitzroy Crossing man has become the first person to be convicted under the Kimberley's new liquor transport laws.
Darren Taylor was convicted in his absence at the Fitzroy Crossing Police Station courthouse late last month, after he was initially charged with breaking the new laws back in September.
The liquor transport laws had been enacted in the Kimberley for just 10 days when Taylor was pulled over for speeding.
Police said he had two other people in the car when his vehicle was searched, and officers uncovered a huge amount of alcohol in the boot.
Police found eight bottles of rum, six cartons of beer and two cases of pre-mixed liquor stashed in the boot, far exceeding the 80 standard drink carrier limit allowable by the legislation.
Under the new regulations, each person in a vehicle can have a combination of one carton of beer and three bottles of wine, or one of those together with a 1-litre bottle of liquor.
The legislation is an attempt to crack down on 'sly-grogging', a practice in the Kimberley’s illegal liquor trade where bottles and cans are on-sold at inflated prices to those living in dry towns and remote communities.
Taylor pleaded guilty to the charge, but was stuck in Katherine in the Northern Territory during the town’s COVID-19 outbreak and was unable to attend court.
He was issued a $750 fine — a long way from the maximum penalty of $10,000 — and ordered to pay $250 in court costs.
The alcohol was also seized and destroyed by police.
The conviction makes Taylor the first person to be convicted on the charge in the Kimberley region, although there continues to be concerns among the legal community that the laws will disproportionately impact Indigenous people.
In September, Racing, Gaming and Liquor Minister Reece Whitby said it was important police exercise their discretion when using the legislation.
“I don't see people getting caught up who have good intentions," he said.
