Tyrone Ansell pleads guilty to hooning at Belli Park, Eerwah Vale, Pomona, Cooroy

A Sunshine Coast civil labourer has said peer pressure and the closure of a speedway contributed to him being involved in illegal street drifting meet ups.

Tyrone Joel Ansell leaving Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Picture: Sam Turner

An Eerwah Vale civil labourer has been heavily fined after videos of his hooning exploits were discovered by police during a raid on his home.

Tyrone Joel Ansell, who Maroochydore Magistrates Court heard was “well known” in the “drift community”, found himself explaining to police why he was seen conducting burnouts in industrial areas on the Sunshine Coast.

The 28-year-old’s rubber fuelled exploits were heard in court on Wednesday after he pleaded guilty to three counts of participating in group activities of hooning, one of dangerous operation of a vehicle and one of possessing things used in hooning.

Police prosecutor Mel Pyke said officers executed a search warrant at his home on January 10 following an investigation into burnout activity and uncovered several mobile phone videos.

Ansell outside court on Wednesday. Picture: Sam Turner

Sergeant Pyke said Ansell spoke to officers on March 31 where he was taken through the high octane videos.

The court heard the first video was point of view footage about 12.30am on October 1, 2023 where Ansell’s car conducted burnouts at Belli Park with other vehicles.

Heavy smoke emanated from Ansell’s tyres, which was close to another vehicle at the same time.

The police prosecutor said his car vehicle continued to drift until some of his tyres exploded which left him driving on his rims.

Ansell told police he was the car’s owner and had some tyres and rims he “wanted to destroy”. He admitted his actions could be perceived as dangerous.

On September 8, 2023 Ansell was seen at Eerwah Vale doing burnouts once again, and also provided fitted tyres to another person at the location after they shredded their tyres.

He pleaded guilty to all charges. Picture: Sam Turner

He told police he did it for money and was unaware it was a crime to supply items for burnouts.

Ansell again performed drifts on October 18, 2023 at Pomona while his passenger filmed, and was videoed performing burnouts at Cooroy on December 19, 2023.

In conversations with police, the 31-year-old said he had succumbed to “peer pressure” following the closure of the Archerfield Speedway where he drifted legally in the past.

Defence lawyer Blake Fraser said Ansell, who worked as a civil labourer, had “self corrected” since he was charged.

Mr Fraser said Ansell obtained insight after he completed the Queensland Traffic Offenders Program and said the offending was out of character. The 28-year-old also wrote a letter of remorse to the court.

His lawyer said the Eerwah Vale man was going through a troubled time and fell to “pressure” from a group he was hanging with who wanted to take their hooning “to the streets”.

Mr Fraser said certain planning measures for the hooning events were taken to minimise the risk to the public by holding the meets in industrial areas with no pedestrians.

Magistrate Rod Madsen fined Ansell $3300 and disqualified him from driving for six months.

No conviction was recorded for the dangerous driving charge, while traffic convictions were recorded for the balance of offences.