Murphy Gunn pleads guilty to seven counts of dangerous driving after hooning videos emerge

A teenage hoon has left his mum in the lurch after having his parent’s car impounded by the police when videos of him doing burnouts across the Sunshine Coast emerged on social media.

Murphy Joseph Gunn leaving Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Tuesday. Picture: Patrick Woods

A Marcoola teenager has lost his parent’s car after it was seized during a police operation targeting hooning on the Sunshine Coast.

Murphy Joseph Gunn incriminated himself after multiple videos were found on his phone and social media of him performing dangerous burnouts in front of spectators and with passengers in his car.

Maroochydore Magistrates Court heard his offending took place across multiple suburbs including Cooroy, Woombye, Pacific Paradise, Pomona and Corbould Park between September and October last year.

The 18-year-old was charged with seven counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, and pleaded guilty to them in court on Tuesday.

Police prosecutor Tara Miles tendered multiple social media videos which captured Gunn performing burnouts.

Gunn outside court on Tuesday. Picture: Patrick Woods

The ecstatic yelling of his mates could be heard on one video played to magistrate Matthew McLoughlin.

“Yeah c--t … yeah boy,” can be heard on the video as Gunn performed fishtails in his car.

Senior Constables Miles said the videos showed how the 18-year-old’s driving put nearby pedestrians and passengers in his vehicle in harm’s way.

Mr McLaughlin said he did not need to watch all of the videos, and likened the videos to a “large cohort of idiots” who had burnout meets at Richlands where he was previously stationed as a magistrate.

The police prosecutor said some of Gunn’s hooning took place on main roads at night, which could’ve been happened upon by innocent motorists.

Gunn received no conviction. Picture: Patrick Woods

Gunn’s dangerous hobby was discovered when his electronic devices were seized and analysed after a raid on his home by police.

Senior Constable Miles said there were also social media posts along with Instagram videos of Gunn’s doughnuts.

Defence lawyer Rose Killip said Gunn was part of a large group of offenders charged. She said he also made admissions to police.

Ms Killip plainly admitted it was “stupid offending” by a group of boys, and said one of the biggest victims was his mum.

The court heard Gunn used his parent’s $12,000 car for all of his burnouts which led to it being impounded by police. Ms Killip said it was unlikely it would be returned.

“Hope he’s going to pay his mum for it,” Mr McLaughlin said.

Mr McLaughlin said Gunn needed to realise “how dangerous and how stupid” his conduct was, and declared cars weren’t toys but “lethal weapons”.

Gunn was fined $2000 and disqualified from driving for one year. No conviction was recorded.