Joseph Vervoort: Magistrate locks up lark for roadside incident while getting a sausage roll on Australia Day
A magistrate has stunned a courtroom by sending a “very poor driver” to jail for a roadside incident on Australia Day two years ago. Read what the Wollongong man did.
Illawarra Star
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A Wollongong lark’s “very poor traffic record” preceded him as he and his solicitor were left dumbfounded after a magistrate locked him up for a roadside incident on Australia Day two years ago.
Joseph Vervoort pleaded guilty to negligent driving, not stopping a vehicle when directed to do so by police and not displaying P-plates, however, the 25-year-old appeared in Wollongong Local Court on Monday to contest the most serious charge of using an offensive weapon, namely his silver Nissan Skyline, to prevent lawful detention.
The P-plater had ducked out to “get a sausage roll” just before 4pm on January 26, 2020, when he lost control of his Nissan on Burelli St near the Steelers Club.
The incident played out in front of a police officer on a trail bike who followed after Vervoort.
The officer caught up to Vervoort and said “Mate pull your car over I need to speak to you about your burnout back there” to which the 25-year-old replied ”But it’s wet and slippery”.
Vervoort had “ample opportunity” to stop, but continued on despite the policeman turning on his lights and calling on the assistance of a second trail bike-riding officer.
He eventually came to a halt in the first of two lanes on the intersection of Smith St and Corrimal St.
One of the officers was about two metres behind Vervoort when he put the car into reverse and reversed around half a metre.
The policeman jumped off his bike and tried to open the Nissan‘s door while yelling for Vervoort to get out of the vehicle with the officer drawing his pistol because he “feared the accused may use his vehicle to injure or drive at police”.
At that point, Vervoort sped off with police unable to catch or contact him before he was arrested for separate matters that have already been dealt with by the court.
In court on Monday, Vervoort put his actions down to being “shocked”, but during his examination he repeatedly stumbled, contradicting himself about when he knew he was being pursued, how close the police were to him and if he had an opportunity to pull over.
“A lot has happened in my life in the last two years... you guys are already making judgments,” Vervoort claimed.
“I’m trying to make sense of what happened, but I don’t know.”
Vervoort also claimed police had been more aggressive in their attempts to pull him over, though this wasn’t evident in the body-worn footage shown in court.
He also said he and his friends had been a victim of police brutality in the past.
The police prosecutor put to Vervoort that he had reversed the vehicle in an attempt to scare off the officers, however he said he “begged to differ” while questioning the roadworthiness of his car.
“I would say [the video] doesn’t show what actually happened,” he said.
“I only moved back a foot.
“I beg to differ. I don’t know what I was trying to do, but I wasn’t trying to do that.
“[The vehicle] had been half converted from an auto to a manual, I don’t know if it was even functioning properly.”
Magistrate Chris McRobert described Vervoort’s testimony as “incoherent, full of contradictions, not making sense and rambling” and dismissed his concerns about being beaten up by the police.
“He said he has been a victim of police brutality,” the magistrate said.
“But there is no suggestion that in a busy area, in broad daylight [the police] have got him out of his car and bashed him.”
Magistrate McRobert slapped him with a combined total fine of $2000 for negligent driving, not stopping and not displaying P-plates.
As for the charge of using an offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention, Magistrate McRobert reached the verdict that warranted a two-year prison sentence with an 18-month non-parole period.
Vervoort’s solicitor, Anthony Stewart, was gobsmacked and probed “I didn’t see it going that way, is there any consideration for an ICO?”, but the magistrate dismissed that suggestion.
“What the hell?” Vervoort stammered as two officers escorted him to the cells.
Vervoort will be eligible for parole on January 21, 2024.
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