Brandon Ryan Brindley: Wellington P-plater drove while suspended

A Wellington man who got back behind the wheel just two days after his licence was suspended has stunned a magistrate. Here’s why.

A Wellington P-plater has been convicted after he was caught driving while suspended – two days after the suspension was imposed.

Brandon Ryan Brindley, 27, appeared in Wellington Local Court on Tuesday as he represented himself, pleading guilty to his second offence of drive motor vehicle while licence suspended.

According to documents tendered to court, Brindley’s licence was suspended from August 23, following a drive with illicit drug in system charge from December last year.

Brandon Brindley outside Wellington Local Court on Tuesday.

Two days later, on August 25, police pulled over Brindley’s Toyota Corolla about 1pm on Maxwell Street in Wellington for a random breath test.

After pulling over on Rygat Street, Brindley handed his provisional licence to police and he was subjected to a breath test which returned a negative result.

Police checked the Corolla for P plates, but they were not displayed.

Further checks revealed Brindley’s licence was suspended, with the 27-year-old telling police he “had not received paperwork for his drug driving offence”.

On Tuesday, the court heard from Brindley who maintained he didn’t know that he was suspended from driving.

“You should know that driving with the influence of drugs (means your) licence is suspended,” magistrate Stephen Olischlager said.

“Driving while suspended creates difficulties for you.”

When asked if there was anything he would like to say, a reserved Brindley told the court he requires a licence, working two jobs, including a position at the Aboriginal Land Council.

In accepting the need for a licence to continue working, Mr Olischlager conceded that the incident wasn’t “particularly serious”, given it wasn’t Brindley’s driving that caught the attention of police.

“But you shouldn’t have been driving,” Mr Olischlager said.

“You shouldn’t assume the suspension isn’t happening.”

While still questioning why Brindley was behind the wheel, Mr Olischlager ultimately convicted the 27-year-old, fining him $400 and disqualifying him from driving for three months.