Tyler Wood pleads guilty to driving while disqualified

A Lara dad who called triple-0 in order to score drugs and grope paramedics was twice found driving while disqualified – but told police he “wasn’t aware” he’d lost his licence.

Tyler Wood. Picture: Facebook

A Lara dad who called triple-0 in order to score drugs and grope parademics was twice found driving while disqualified, a court has heard.

Tyler Wood, 34, pleaded guilty in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Tuesday to two counts of driving while disqualified.

Mr Wood was sentenced inthe County Court in July to six months in jail, followed by a two-year RRO – effectively a suspended sentence – on 23 charges including sexual assault.

Wood was in the throes of a significant opioid addiction when he made hundreds of bogus calls to emergency services, often feigning stroke-like symptoms so paramedics would prioritise his calls.

On multiple occasions Wood would sexually assault female paramedics.

On Tuesday, the court heard that Wood was intercepted while driving on March 24 last year.

Wood had been previously been disqualified from driving in February 2023 for four years.

During a police interview, he told officers: “I wasn’t aware I was disqualified.”

But the court heard Wood was present at the hearing when his licence was cancelled.

On August 14 last year, Wood was again nabbed driving when he was intercepted by police about 4.25pm on Forrest Rd in Lara.

The court heard Wood could not provide a lawful reason why he was behind the wheel and his car’s registration had also expired the previous day.

At the time of the offending, Wood was on a 12-month community corrections order (CCO).

He was put on the order in February 2023 for refusing a breath test and two counts of unlicensed driving.

Wood’s lawyer, Ryan Robertson, submitted that a “modest and wholly concurrent” period behind bars would be within range on the matter, given the sentence Wood was already serving.

Mr Robertson “urged” the court not to extend Wood’s time in jail with an accumulative sentence.

He told the court that Wood was “known in the prison” which exposed him to considerable risk.

The court heard that prior to landing himself in jail, Wood was the primary carer of his two children, a responsibility that now fell to his mother, Mr Robertson said.

Upon release, Wood is eager to find work to be able to provide for his two children, the court heard.

Magistrate Urfa Masood said she leaned towards a fine, rather than a concurrent prison sentence as she did not see it having any use.

“A fully concurrent sentence doesn’t otherwise have any deterrent effect,” Ms Masood said.

“In his day to day existence in prison … it will make no material difference.”

Ms Masood said driving was a responsibility.

“You’re responsible for your safety and the safety of others on the road,” she said.

Wood was convicted and fined a total of $2250 – $1500 for the driving offences and $750 for contravening the CCO.

Originally published as Tyler Wood pleads guilty to driving while disqualified