‘Nothing short of pathetic and dangerous’: Serial hoon hammered for menacing Redlands
A ‘drug-fried’ hoon’s dangerous exploits on a trail bike and moped made it all the way to a politician’s office after a community took a stand against his menace.
Redlands Coast
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A MAN whose reckless driving on a trail bike so incensed a community a Facebook page was founded in order to identify him has been given a jail sentence.
Aaron John Porter, 28, broke down on Friday when he appeared via video link from Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre at the Cleveland Magistrates Court.
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Porter, a Wellington Point man who a magistrate said had never held a driver’s licence, pleaded guilty to more than a dozen charges including multiple counts of unregistered, unlicensed and dangerous driving.
The court heard Capalaba community members were so concerned at his “erratic and incredibly dangerous” driving that complaints reached a ministerial level.
“Complaints have been made to local member of parliament the Honourable Don Brown who has been in contact with Capalaba police on more than one occasion,” police prosecutor Sergeant Tetley said.
“The defendant’s conduct has also escalated to a ministerial complaint due to the repeated disregard shown for the safety of others.
“From the community’s perspective he has been nothing short of pathetic and dangerous to the point where there has almost been a vigilante system (organised) to catch this person who continues to place them at risk.”
The court heard Porter was intercepted by police riding an uninsured and unregistered moped at 1.15am in Logan on May 1 while in possession of a knife, scales, a glass pipe and a tainted credit card. There was no evidence to suggest he had used the card.
At around 12pm on May 5 Porter was observed driving erratically between vehicles on Bloomfield St in Cleveland, mounting a kerb and driving through a stop sign without a helmet on.
On May 14 the defendant “looked directly at” approaching police before speeding off on the wrong side of the road, mounting a footpath and a median strip with shrubbery while riding on one wheel.
And at 2.30pm on May 16 Porter crashed a trail bike into a vehicle and gave false identification to the party involved.
He also drove uninsured, unregistered and unlicensed on Old Cleveland Rd in Capalaba and on Birkdale Rd in Birkdale on June 1.
Porter’s defence solicitor Stephanie Tsimos said the 30 days in custody, Porter’s first time in jail, had been a sobering experience and allowed him to dry out from drugs.
Ms Tsimos said her client had been “off the rails on meth” during his offending.
The court heard Porter bottled up his emotions and had used drugs as an escape.
The defendant, who’s mother was in court as support, would live with his parents in Beenleigh upon release.
Magistrate Deborah Vasta said the effect of Porter’s offending on the community had been significant.
“The drums of outrage are starting to beat in the community and people are sick to death of you,” Magistrate Vasta said.
“(This is) incredibly dangerous stuff and unfortunately because your brain is fried with drugs you don’t even notice the dangerousness of it.”
Porter was disqualified from driving for 16 months and sentenced to six month’s jail with immediate release, suspended over two years.