Elizabeth Sears: Macquarie Corrections officer caught driving while suspended

A senior correctional officer tasked with managing programs to prevent inmates from reoffending has been convicted of driving while suspended, after failing to appear in court.

Senior Assistant Superintendent of Macquarie Correctional Centre, Elizabeth Sears.

A senior correctional officer at one of the state’s leading progressive maximum security prison — tasked with preventing inmates from reoffending — has been convicted of driving while suspended after being hit with 36 demerit points since 2019.

Elizabeth Anne Sears, 55, was due to appear in Dubbo Local Court on Wednesday after she was charged with driving while her licence was suspended.

Wellington Correctional Centre.

According to agreed facts tendered to court, Sears was driving on Boundary Road in Dubbo on the morning of August 26 when police stopped her black Toyota Rav4 “travelling faster than the posted speed limit of 50kmh”.

Macquarie Correctional Centre during its erection.

Sears provided her unrestricted licence to police, saying “now my licence was suspended, I don’t know whether it’s come up yet as back in full”.

Police checks showed Sears’ licence to be suspended, although it was “unclear … due to possible good behaviour conditions”.

Despite this, Sears received an infringement for speeding, and told not to drive.

Further investigations revealed Sears’ licence was suspended indefinitely from June 6 as she failed to complete a driver education program.

Agreed facts indicate the senior correctional officer has incurred a total of 36 demerit points since the start of 2019, with 13 points coming from 2022 alone.

Police say Sears “shows little to no regard for the road rules,” given that she was “aware of her licence suspension” and still continued to drive regardless.

Corrective Services NSW sources confirmed Ms Sears was reported to have been driving on a suspended licence, and was convicted without appearing at Dubbo Local Court this week.

A CSNSW spokesman said the department would not provide comment on the matter.