A 26-year-old Warwick man, who was arrested on suspicion for driving while impaired, had his child in the car while driving at speed and driving wrecklessly.

Stevon Lightbourne pleaded not guilty to driving while impaired but guilty to refusing to take a breathalyser test.

Magistrates’ Court heard that police officers were stationed in the car park at Island Spice, Warwick, and monitoring traffic when they spotted Lightbourne driving at speed and swerving in the road.

When they pulled him over near Ord Road, Police said that Lightbourne appeared unstable on his feet, his eyes were glazed and they could smell alcohol on his breath. They also saw a child in the back of the car with no safety seat or seatbelt.

The accused told police: “I just picked my boy up; I’m taking my boy home . . . you can’t [disrespect] me like this in front of my boy.”

Lightbourne told magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo that he did not believe he was over the legal limit for alcohol.

He was fined $800 and was disqualified from driving for 12 months for refusing the breath test.