Tye Michael Stillitano sentenced over burnout and dangerous driving on video

An 18-year-old Sunshine Coast man drove on the wrong side of the road and lost control of his car after doing a burnout while being filmed on his brother’s phone.

A young Sunshine Coast man lost control of his car while doing a burnout and drove on the wrong side of the road while being filmed on his brother’s phone, a court has heard.

Tye Michael Stillitano, 18, was fined $800 and slapped with a driving ban after pleading guilty to a string of driving offences in Caloundra Magistrates Court on Wednesday, May 11, 2022.

The court heard Stillitano was driving a Ford vehicle on Peachester Rd, Peachester about 9pm on December 18, 2021 near an unlit steep street incline with winding roads and a 60km/h speed limit.

The 18-year-old stopped his car on the road behind a Nissan Skyline which performed a burnout and drove away.

Stillitano then drove off onto the wrong side of the road after the Skyline took off while a front seat passenger filmed him on a phone.

The phone recording showed Stillitano driving on the opposite lane 17 times over a 10-minute period.

He narrowly missed crashing into two cars in the oncoming direction and another when he overtook a car in the same lane.

Stillitano then drove through Coochin Creek about 9.28am on January 4, 2022, and stopped his vehicle on an 80km/h roadway which was wet from rain.

After stopping, the 18-year-old did a burnout and crossed onto the opposite side of the road before he lost control of the car and spun 180 degrees while a front seat passenger recorded it.

Police conducted a search warrant at Stillitano’s address about two weeks later and seized two phones belonging to the 18-year-old and his brother.

The phones were examined and shown to have contained recordings of the two incidents.

Stillitano was later pulled over by roadside officers on February 28 at 6.50pm when he tested positive to having drugs in his system while driving and admitted to recent drug use.

Police revisited Stillitano’s address on March 10 and issued a type one offence notice and confirmed he was the driver in the two phone videos.

Police Prosecutor Sergeant Stephen Potter asked for a suspended sentence to be handed down to the 18-year-old.

Defence lawyer Chelsea Emery told the court Stillitano had worked as a plasterer before losing his job and he was looking to become a plumber.

Ms Emery said while Stillitano’s dangerous driving offences were very serious he had strong prospects of rehabilitation given his young age.

Stillitano pleaded guilty to two counts of dangerous driving, one count of driving while relevant drug is present in saliva and one count of driving while relevant drug is present and holding a learner, probationary, or provisional license.

Magistrate Catherine Benson fined Stillitano $800 and placed him on nine months’ probation cumulative for the two dangerous driving charges and he had his license disqualified for 18 months.

No convictions were recorded.