Repeat driving offender David Casimir Edmonds found with homemade weapon in Mittagong

A repeat offender was before the court again after police found a homemade weapon in the defective car he was illegally driving.

A repeat offender with seven recent driving offences and two recent weapons offences was before the court again after police found a homemade weapon in the defective car he was illegally driving.

David Casimir Edmonds, 36, appeared in Moss Vale Court after pleading guilty to driving with drugs in his system; two counts of driving while disqualified; having an offensive implement in a public place; and driving a non-compliant vehicle with obscured number plates.

The court documents state the Yerrinbool resident was disqualified from driving for a year on May 19 for driving offences, but police caught him behind the wheel only a few months later.

David Casimir Edmonds avoided jail after police found a homemade weapon in the defective car he was illegally driving.

Around noon on September 18, the agreed facts reveal Edmonds was busted driving a black Volkswagen Polo along Old South Rd in Mittagong after police noticed his number plates were illegible.

When they pulled Edmonds over, the facts show the officers noted his licence was disqualified and conducted roadside drug and alcohol tests. According to the facts, the father-of-two returned a positive result for cannabis and meth, which was later confirmed in a secondary test.

Court documents reveal Edmonds freely admitted to police “I smoke pot daily” and said he used meth once a week.

During their search of the car, the facts state officers found and seized a 40cm-long homemade wooden baton on the back seat.

According to facts, Edmonds told police he crafted the weapon from a wooden chair leg.

“I’d say it’s for protection … yeah I made it,” he said.

According to the facts, police noticed the number plates had been defaced and the seat belts were not fully functional in the car, which posed an obvious safety issue.

David Casimir Edmonds has been charged with seven driving offences and two weapons offences in the past two years.

The court documents reveal Edmonds has faced court seven times for various driving offences and twice for offences related to offensive implements in the past two years.

At the time of the most recent offences, the court heard he was serving an intensive corrections order and a community corrections order.

“It aggravated the offences, there’s no question of that,” said his lawyer Fiona Kay.

Edmond’s repeat offending, continued consumption of drugs, and possession of homemade weapons highlights a “reckless indifference” to public safety, police state in the facts.

However, Ms Kay said Edmonds had committed to his drug rehabilitation and “got some runs on the board.”

“He has made significant inroads on trying to get rid of his drug abuse issues,” she said.

“He realised he was heading in one direction and that was jail.”

The court heard Edmonds attended a 10-day drug program at a rehabilitation facility and was making an effort to change his ways. In terms of driving offences, Ms Kay told the court the car Edmonds was driving at the time of the offences was incinerated so he no longer has access to a vehicle.

David Casimir Edmonds appeared in Moss Vale Court on December 21, 2021.

Magistrate Mark Douglass acknowledged Edmond’s commitment to rehabilitation and urged him to continue.

“Your lawyer has convinced me that you’re at the crossroads,” he said.

“You have to decide which path to take.”

He sentenced Edmonds to nine months imprisonment to be served as an intensive corrections order in the community. The magistrate imposed a fine of $950 and ordered abstinence from drugs.

Edmonds is disqualified from driving for six months.