Carl Joseph Savy pleads guilty in Mackay court for airport road rage

A miner with a history of traffic offences succumbed to a bout of road rage, ripping off another driver’s ‘indicator stick’ in an airport carpark.

The lapse in an indicator signal was enough to push a Mackay mine worker into a bout of road rage, ending in a new charge to his two-page list of driving offences.

The court heard Carl Joseph Savy became enraged in the parking area of a Mackay Airport when there was an altercation with another vehicle.

Prosecutor Chelsea Pearson said the driver of the car heard Savy yell “where is your f---ing indicator?”.

Savy then reached into the man’s car and “broke the indicator stick”.

Carl Joseph Savy had traffic offences dating back to 2003. Picture: Lillian Watkins

Savy pleaded guilty to wilful damage in Mackay Magistrates Court on September 9.

The Mackay father insisted to Magistrate Damien Dwyer he needed his driving licence, telling the court he had “had a very bad day” and “had learnt his lesson”.

But Mr Dwyer was unconvinced, bringing up Savy’s two-page traffic history dating back to 2003.

“You didn’t learn your lesson in 2003 when you first came before the court?” Mr Dwyer said.

“Or in 2004, 2006, 2006, 2006, 2007, 2007, 2007, 2008, 2008, 2008, 2010, 2010, 2011, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2020 or in 2021.

“Why should I accept you’ve learnt your lesson now when you have that history?”

“You continually put lives at risk, and not only that – your driving has escalated to the fact that you are now into road rage.”

The court heard since the incident in March, Savy had undertaken a defensive driving course and was working on his anger management with breathing exercises and medication.

“It’s time to grow up,” Mr Dwyer told him.

Savy was fined $1200 and ordered to pay $156.95 restitution.

He retained his licence.

A conviction was recorded.