Newstead builder of prestige homes disqualified for eye-watering period at Cleveland court
A prestige home building director with a five-page traffic history has been told by a court to pack his toothbrush for jail should he drive unlicensed again.
Redlands Coast
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A director of a prestige home building company has been told to “man up and take your punishment” by a magistrate, who warned should he drive while court disqualified again, he could go to jail.
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James William Schulz, 46, remained largely silent when he received the no-nonsense advice after he pleaded guilty to contravene direction of police and driving of motor vehicle without a driver's licence disqualified by a court at Cleveland Magistrates Court yesterday.
The court heard Newstead man Schulz was the owner of JSC Prestige Homes and had given a false name to police when he was intercepted at 10.50am on Anne Street in Fortitude Valley on August 24.
Initially claiming to be Charles Schulz the defendant would later admit his correct identity when police discovered he had previously driven while court disqualified and had lost his licence for two years.
The court was further told the builder had a five-page traffic history and had been the beneficiary of a minimum disqualification period of three months after five drink driving offences for which he was sentenced last year.
Defence barrister Jim Veivers said his client had been under significant pressure during the pandemic having reduced his staff to six at his firm which was owed more than half a million dollars.
Mr Veivers said the defendant panicked when intercepted by police while he was on his way to tend to an excavator which had broken down at one of his work sites, but acknowledged that it was no excuse to have driven.
The sentiment was very much echoed by Magistrate Vasta who explained the legal peril the man would face should he keep ignoring court orders.
“You need to suck it up,” magistrate Vasta said.
“Grow up, man up and take your punishment.
“You could go to jail next time.”
Schulz was fined $1,200 and disqualified from driving for a mandatory minimum two years.
Having previously been disqualified for the same period, he will next be eligible to drive on December 8, 2023.