Gosford: Gregory Deal busted riding a stolen bike while disqualified until 2055
A “busy criminal” said he made the “most idiotic decision” in the past decade to borrow a mate’s motorcycle with fake number plates for a ride while he was disqualified from driving until 2055.
Central Coast
Don't miss out on the headlines from Central Coast. Followed categories will be added to My News.
By his own admission Gregory Deal does dumb things while he’s on the drugs.
“It’s not as though I’ve had an epiphany while I’ve been inside,” the 49-year-old told Gosford Local Court on Thursday.
Deal, of Narara, had pleaded guilty to stealing a motorcycle, driving while disqualified, using a vehicle with misleading number plates and unlawfully possessing number plates.
His Legal Aid solicitor told the court Deal had been using drugs when he took a friend’s motorcycle without permission.
The court heard his criminal history “runs into 60 pages” and included mostly driving while disqualified and traffic offences.
Magistrate Michael Antrum said Deal’s sentence assessment report and his criminal history reflected an “entrenched feeling that you’re entitled to drive”.
“I don’t know where you get that view,” Magistrate Antrum asked him.
“None of us have that entitlement unless we have a valid driver’s licence.”
Deal said when he was sober he knew he wasn’t allowed to drive “but when I’m on drugs” it was different.
“It’s the most idiotic decision I’ve made in the past decade,” he told the court.
“It’s not as though I’ve had an epiphany while inside.”
Deal said he now faced another two years off the road before he could even challenge his Habitual Offender’s declaration.
Magistrate Antrum said he wasn’t going to go through Deal’s criminal record “or we will be here until three-o’clock”.
“You’ve been a busy criminal with your driving,” Magistrate Antrum said.
He convicted Deal and sentenced him to nine months jail with a non-parole period of four months.
He also fined him $880 and disqualified him from driving for another 12 months taking his disqualification period into 2056.
An agreed set of facts states police noticed a black Kawasaki motorcycle about 2.30pm on Showground Rd, at Narara, on January 20.
Checks on the vehicle’s number plates failed to identify its registration.
Officers spoke to Deal, who had stopped the motorcycle and was walking away.
Further checks revealed he was disqualified from driving until 2055 and the number plates did not match the motorcycle.
The bike’s vehicle identification number revealed the Kawasaki had been reported stolen from Toronto on April 24, 2020.
Just outstanding! The young guns on fire in Waratahs v Reds U15 battle
It’s a taste of things to come, a critical showcase for rising stars of rugby and the annual battle between the NSW Waratahs and Queensland Reds under 15s did not disappoint. Stars, photos
Read more
Young mum avoids jail for hiding partner’s abuse of her child
A young mum has narrowly avoided jail after ignoring the terrible abuse of her own child, which experts likened to being in a car accident or falling from “multiple storeys”.
Read more