Bryce Andrew Thomas: Suspended P-plater’s ‘liberty on the line’ after being caught twice driving while suspended

A Dubbo magistrate has been left confused over a suspended P-plater’s excuses for being caught driving while suspended twice in five days. Read what the magistrate had to say.

A Dubbo concreter who cannot keep off the road has learnt his fate after being caught driving without a licence twice in just five days.

Bryce Andrew Thomas, 26, fronted Dubbo Local Court on Wednesday, pleading guilty to two charges of driving while suspended.

According to the documents tendered in court, police pounced on the P-plater behind the wheel of his Mitsubishi Lancer driving along Boundary Road at around 8.30pm on July 13.

Subsequent police checks confirmed his licence was suspended.

When asked about his suspension, Thomas replied, “I know,” saying he was driving “to get home from a friend’s house”.

Then five days later in the early hours of July 18, Thomas was again pulled over by police, telling officers he did not have his licence on him before later admitting that it was in fact suspended.

Bryce Thomas was sentenced in Dubbo Local Court on Wednesday.

Thomas revealed to police that he had been pulled over and charged only days earlier, explaining he was “taking a friend home” and “did not want to let her drive.”

In court on Wednesday Magistrate Phillip Stewart highlighted that the 26-year-old had only been handed a conditional release order for a separate traffic matter in May.

A self-representing Thomas told the court he had completed a traffic offenders program, which provides education about dangerous driving.

Magistrate Stewart queried why Thomas was behind the wheel on the first occasion, to which the P-plater admitted he had been driving to and from work, outlining that he works as a concreter and was the last man on the site because “it doesn’t dry as quick [compared to] the summer”.

“I didn’t want to put my job on the line,” Thomas pleaded.

The magistrate rebutted, “so you put your liberty on the line instead?”.

Thomas said his need to “support himself” and his inability to get to and from work, although he has since settled the latter issue.

Despite being puzzled by Thomas’ actions, Magistrate Stewart offered leniency by handing the concreter an 18-month conditional release order without conviction.

“You don’t want to come back before the court for a driving matter because it might end with tears on your behalf,” Magistrate Stewart said.

“You need to be an angel for the next 18 months.”