“Foolish” tradie returns to the wheel to protect tools from rain damage, just weeks remaining of three-year license disqualification

A Ripley plasterer will be off the road for a total six years after a risky move to save his tools failed.

A tradie who made a “foolish” call to drive at the tail end of a disqualification period in order to save his tools from water damage has fronted court.

Quinten Turgeon pleaded guilty in court on Tuesday to driving without a valid driver’s license – just nine days before the expiry of his previous three-year license disqualification.

The court heard the Ripley-based plasterer risked it to protect the tools of his trade.

The court heard Turgeon drove a short distance in a co-worker’s vehicle to their home, with intent to protect his tools and materials from wet weather.

Magistrate David Shepherd said Turgeon’s actions were “extraordinarily silly” and that they “indicate a complete lack of thinking”.

“He’s foolish, it was stupid,” said Turgeon’s defence lawyer Mr Nyugen.

Ripley-based tradie Quinten Turgeon. Picture: Facebook

Turgeon has a history of similar offences, with a previous breach of disqualified license because he “thought that driving on the beach didn’t count.”

He was further fined for wilful damage and failing to appear in 2016, but had not committed any offences during the two and a half years prior to this most recent offence.

The court heard Turgeon had separated from his partner around the time of this most recent incident and now shared custody of the couple’s child.

He was sentenced to 180 hours of unpaid community service within a period of 12 months, and the conviction was recorded.

Magistrate Shepherd said he hoped the community service would have a greater lasting impact on Turgeon than previous license disqualifications, as it would consume most of his spare time outside of his full time work and parenting duties.

Turgeon was also disqualified from obtaining and holding a driver’s license for a further three years.