Oliver Allan Collett-Nilon pleads guilty to unlicensed driving at Gympie, Qld

A teenager has lost his licence for a month after committing more than a dozen driving offences and flipping police ‘the bird’ while riding his motorbike, shortly after the courts gave him a special licence to stay on the road.

Gympie teen Oliver Allan Collett-Nilon has lost his licence for a month after flipping police “the bird” while riding his motorbike only one day after the courts gave him special permission to stay on the road.

A teenager has lost his licence for a month after flipping police “the bird” while riding his motorbike only one day after the courts gave him special permission to stay on the road.

Oliver Allan Collett-Nilon appeared in Gympie Magistrates Court over a series of 19 offences including riding a defective motorbike without the appropriate licence, committed in across almost three weeks, from June 21, 2024 to July 9, 2024.

Police prosecutor Allison Johnston said the teen’s behaviour showed “persistent disregard for the law” and was “essentially thumbing his nose” at authorities.

Sgt Johnston said this was physically demonstrated by his “literally giving police the bird at times as he’s riding past on his motorbike”.

“It’s very insulting behaviour towards police,” she said.

Oliver Allan Collett-Nilon appeared in Gympie Magistrates Court over a series of 19 offences including riding a defective motorbike without the appropriate licence.

The teen had since written an apology letter to the police.

The court heard Collett-Nilon committed some of the offences the day after the he was granted a restricted special hardship licence in the wake of having his own initially being suspended on demerit points.

Defence lawyer Lisa Taylor said the 18-year-old’s was experiencing a “cocktail of life stresses” at the time, including arguments with his parents and breaking up with his girlfriend.

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He had been “quite unwell” and “bedridden for many, many months” since Grade 10.

The teen “made a stupid decision” by a “young man of good character with real prospects of a successful future”, she said.

He had now sold his motorbike immediately after being charged, the court heard.

He was currently working at Bunnings, Mrs Taylor said, but he now had plans to move to a cattle station at Mount Isa to save money “and get his life together”.

Collett-Nilon’s mother sat quietly in the public gallery during sentencing.

Collett-Nilon pleaded guilty to five counts of driving or parking a defective light vehicle on the road, five counts of driving without a licence, one bail act offence, and four counts of using a vehicle without a number plate, among other charges.

Magistrate Bevan Hughes told the teen young people do not always make sensible decisions, but it was “disappointing” he had acted this way against the law after it had helped him by granting him a hardship licence.

“The law was actually working with you to try and help you,” Mr Hughes said.

Collett-Nilon pleaded guilty to five counts of driving or parking a defective light vehicle on the road, five counts of driving without a license, one bail act offence, failing to apply for the transfer of a registered vehicle after acquiring it, four counts of using a vehicle without a number plate, overtaking a vehicle on the left hand side, disobeying the speed limit, keeping to the left of the two continuous dividing lines.

He fined Collett-Nilon $2000 and disqualified him from driving for one month.

“The law gave you a chance,” Mr Hughes said.

No convictions were recorded.