Court briefs: offenders sentenced in Coffs Harbour Local Court this week

From drug driving to assaults, here are some of the offenders who have learned of their fate in Coffs Harbour Local Court.

From drug driving to common assaults, a number of offenders learned of their fate at Coffs Harbour Local Court this week.

– Damien McCullough pleaded guilty to a charge of having custody of a knife in a public place.

The court heard the man was spoken to by police on June 19 and was found carrying a small folding hook blade knife.

McCullough, who represented himself in court, admitted to Magistrate Rodgers that he had been in “a lot of trouble over the years” and had recently settled into Coffs Harbour.

He said he had taken his dog across the road to the park when he was spoken to by police.

“I didn’t realise the knife was in me bum bag,” he said.

The court heard McCullough had a criminal history consisting mostly of dishonesty and drug possession offences.

He was convicted and fined $660 over the incident.

– Joseph Brian Howarth pleaded guilty to a charge of mid range PCA after he returned a positive reading in an RBT on June 13.

Howarth’s lawyer told Magistrate Ian Rodgers that the red P-plater had chosen to drive to prevent his friend, who was heavily intoxicated, from getting behind the wheel.

The court heard Howarth was remorseful over the incident and had no criminal history.

He was convicted and fined $700 and had his licence suspended for three months. He was also given a mandatory interlock period of 12 months.

One man was fined $700 after he was caught drink driving.

– Kade Christian pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while suspended.

The court heard the 28-year-0ld had his licence suspended in May due to the loss of demerit points, and had relied on co-workers and family for lifts for some time until he was caught driving on June 21.

His lawyer told the Magistrate that Christian was unable to get a lift home from work that day so he made the “poor decision” to drive.

The lawyer urged the Magistrate for leniency, stating Christian had since lost his job due to the loss of his licence.

Magistrate Ian Rodgers noted that Christian had a history of driving while suspended but acknowledged his hardships. He was fined $440 and his licence was disqualified for six months.

– Craig William Mallett was sentenced on a charge of common assault which took place at a parking lot outside a Coffs pub in June 2020.

The court heard Mallett and two colleagues were targeted by an unknown man in “grey tracksuit pants” and others following an earlier disagreement in the pub.

It was heard that Mallett had taken a man to the ground in a headlock in order to protect his colleague.

Mallett was convicted and sentenced to a Community Corrections Order for 12 months, and as part of this he must undertake 100 hours of community service.

Read the full story here.

The incident took place at an Ocean Parade parking lot.

– James Rudd pleaded guilty to two counts of driving with an illicit drug in his system, negligent driving and refusing to produce a licence.

The court heard that on April 4 Rudd was pulled over and he tested positive for driving with methamphetamine and cannabis in his system.

On April 26, it was heard police noticed Rudd driving without his headlights on and pulled up beside him at a set of traffic lights. It was heard Rudd then did a U-turn at the lights and he was stopped by the officers near the police station.

He refused to give them his licence and tested positive again to having methamphetamine and cannabis in his system, the court heard.

The magistrate took into account that Rudd was grappling with mental health issues at the time and did not convict him for the first count of driving with an illicit drug in his system. He however sentenced him to a good behaviour bond for six months.

For the second drug driving charge he was convicted and fined $330 and had his licence disqualified for six months, and for the negligent driving charge he was also convicted and fined $330. For failing to produce a licence he was convicted with no further penalty.

– Te-Rangi Regler pleaded guilty to charges of common assault and intimidation.

The court heard that in March 2020, the man had targeted a grocery shopper at random while she was loading groceries into her car in a Coffs CBD parking lot.

It was heard he had made threats to the woman and slammed a car door causing an “impact” to her chest.

He was convicted of the charges and sentenced to a four-month Intensive Corrections Order, which is an alternative to full time imprisonment that is served in the community under supervision.

He was also placed on a Community Corrections Order for 12 months and must undertake 150 hours of community service as part of this.

Read the full story here.

The victim was assaulted at a Coffs CBD parking lot.

– Edward Jaaziel Weldon pleaded guilty to driving with an illicit drug present in his system and not complying with restrictions on his P-plate licence.

The court heard the 25-year-old was stopped by police for an RBT on February 24, and returned a negative test. He however was drug tested and returned a positive result for methamphetamine and cannabis.

Weldon was also found with two passengers inside his vehicle, however as a P1 driver he was not permitted to have more than one.

The court heard he had a limited criminal history involving traffic matters.

He was convicted and fined $180 for the P1 licence offence, and $440 for drug driving.

– Jayden Thomas Delves pleaded guilty to two counts of dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception.

The court heard the 20-year-old had picked up a bank card which had dropped onto a sidewalk and used it to purchase cans of Bundaberg Rum as well as Midori.

Delves’ lawyer told Magistrate Ian Rodgers that the young man was homeless at the time and had never been before the court before.

Due to Delves’ young age and his good prospects of rehabilitation, Magistrate Rogers did not convict him but placed him on a good behaviour bond for 12 months.

The Magistrate gave him a word of warning before letting him go.

“You generally only get one chance with a non-conviction order, so it’s up to you now okay?”