Christopher Cunningham: Canberra bikie booted off the road for over a decade

A convicted shooter and Rebel’s member has learned how much longer he will spend behind bars after driving on the wrong side of the road and terrorising another driver.

Rebels member Christopher Cunningham — who was jailed for a 2019 shooting — will spend longer behind bars and has been booted off the road for over a decade after being sentenced over a slew of driving offences.

Cunningham, 35, fronted the ACT Magistrates Court via audio visual link on Thursday after being charged with driving an unregistered vehicle, aggravated furious reckless dangerous driving, failing to stop for police and five counts of driving while disqualified.

He pleaded guilty to all charges.

Last month in the ACT Supreme Court, Justice David Mossop sentenced Cunningham to over three years in jail after he pleaded guilty to committing an act endangering life and possessing an unauthorised firearm.

Those two charges relate to a shooting at birthday party in 2019 where Cunningham shot a man through his leg.

During his ACT Supreme Court sentencing it was noted Cunningham was a member of the Rebels. His original sentence was backdated to December 2020 and he initially had a release date of September 29, 2024. He would be eligible for parole in June 2023.

For his driving offences Magistrate Robert Cook extended Cunningham’s release date to July 9, 2025. He will be eligible for parole on August 20, 2023.

Cunningham was also disqualified from driving for 11 years and ordered to pay an $800 fine immediately.

Christopher Cunningham is banned from driving for 11 years. Picture: Craig Dunlop

The traffic offences occurred from October 2020, February 2021, April 2021, October 2021 and November 2021 when he was disqualified from driving or under bail conditions that stopped him from getting behind the wheel.

The most brazen examples of Cunningham’s traffic offences detailed in court documents relate to a road rage incident in October when he terrorised another driver and the November 2021 incident when drove on the wrong side of the road after appearing at the ACT Law courts.

Police allege on October 25 Mr Cunningham stopped his green Ford Falcon in the middle of the road on Sulwood Drive at Wanniassa after another driver beeped him for erratic driving.

The second driver was forced to stop his car to avoid a crash after Cunningham parked his car on the road.

Cunningham then walked over to the man and began a verbal argument on the road.

Cunningham opened the door of the driver’s car, pulled out his keys from the ignition and threw them into the road embankment before getting back into his car and driving away.

Police said Cunningham was wearing a jumper with the Rebels insignia across his chest.

Christopher Cunningham’s time in jail has been extended after a slew of driving offences. Picture Craig Dunlop

On November 25, police saw same Ford Falcon driving on London Circuit which then turned right into a public carpark next to the Sydney Building near the ACT Law Courts at 9.39am.

At 4.14pm the same day police observed Cunningham leaving the ACT law courts and walking towards the carpark.

Police then saw the car leaving the carpark and heading towards London Circuit at 4.25pm.

They followed the car, which crossed on to the wrong side of the street and ran through a red light at the intersection of Theatre Lane and London Circuit.

Cunningham sped along London Circuit, on to Constitution Ave, when police lost track of the car.

Cops then saw the car travelling east on Parkes Way near Duntroon Military College at Campbell before reaching Queanbeyan where police lost sight of the car again.

After witnessing police on the way to Queanbeyan Cunningham allegedly drove on the wrong side of the road for the second time.

Police spoke with Cunningham on November 29 at the ACT Law Courts where he was subsequently arrested and taken into custody

Police say Cunningham told police “the car wasn’t even mine” when he was arrested.