Redland Bay tradie off road for decade as flagrant disregard of court orders kills his motors

A Redland Bay tradie and admitted drug addict has lost his car and the right to drive for a decade.

A serial court disqualified driver who behaved as if he were “untouchable” has had his vehicle permanently confiscated and lost his licence for a decade.

An admitted drug addict for the past few years Anthony Chaszczweski pleaded guilty to two counts of driving without a licence while disqualified by a court order and one count of driving without a licence while disqualified by a court as a repeat offender.

Appearing at Cleveland Magistrates Court today via video link from remand the 47-year-old Redland Bay man could not hide his relief when he was granted immediate parole on an 18-month jail sentence.

However, due to minimum sentencing for disqualified driving, he would face an eye-watering disqualification period only ending in 2030 and had his $12,000 vehicle permanently seized.

Previously sentenced to an intensive community corrections order for disqualified driving, the court heard Chaszczweski drove unlicensed on three occasions in the past three months.

On October 13 at around 2.55pm on Serpentine Creek Road in Redland Bay, the court heard, he was observed by police driving, only to “rapidly accelerate” away from officers.

At around 4.55pm on October 20 he was spotted by police on Valley Way in Mount Cotton.

And on November 24 at around 2.45pm he again raced away from police after he was observed on Serpentine Creek Road in Redland Bay.

Unrepresented, the defendant told the court he had no excuse for his offending and finally realised the seriousness of his behaviour.

“I worked hard and honest for that car and to have that taken is a wake-up call,” Chaszczweski said.

Although acknowledged by Magistrate Deborah Vasta, the defendant’s lament did little to explain his serial offending.

“You just keep doing it. And again and again and again,” Magistrate Vasta said.

“(And) you have a long history of disqualified driving in NSW.

“It is like you think you are untouchable”.

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The magistrate congratulated the man on what the court heard was an otherwise strong commitment to work as a labourer and urged him to focus on alternate plans for transport.

In addition to his jail sentence Chaszczweski was suspended from driving for two years for each of his three offences.

Given his previous periods of suspension, the court heard he will next be able to regain his licence in 2030.