Shaun Matthew Lawrence: Mt Ousley menace spared jail time

A Fairy Meadow man whose “menacing driving” led to a multi-vehicle crash on a busy motorway has been sentenced in Wollongong Local Court.

A Fairy Meadow man with a “terrible driving record” has dodged a prison sentence after causing a three-car crash on the Princes Mwy in May last year.

Father-of-two Shaun Matthew Lawrence faced Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday charged with four offences including three relating to the crash on Mt Ousley – the main thoroughfare between Wollongong and Sydney.

Lawrence, 42, was charged with menacing driving, not giving particulars to other drivers, driving a vehicle with an illicit drug present in his blood and shoplifting.

The fourth offence occurred only a month after the other three when Lawrence, while on bail, stole a $15 Toshiba micro SD from Coles in Wollongong despite having hundreds of dollars in his pocket.

Magistrate Greg Elks spared Shaun Matthew Lawrence from time behind bars in Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday, instead sentencing him to a 18-month intensive correction order and 150 hours of community service.

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Lawrence was also issued a $500 fine, his license was suspended for three years and he was ordered to undertake a traffic offenders program.

Court documents detailed Lawrence’s dangerous behaviour on Wednesday, May 5, 2021 when he followed a grey Mazda CX5 in his green Holden Nova from Port Kembla Courthouse and up Mt Ousley.

Lawrence raced in and out of traffic and gestured “I’m watching you” to the Mazda which had three occupants with police prosecutor Sergeant David Weaver telling the court the accused “break tested” in front of the vehicle – which stopped before two other cars crashed into the rear.

Lawrence veered off the side of the motorway around 300m away before driving off without exchanging details.

The occupants of all three vehicles avoided serious injuries, however, two of the cars had to be towed from the scene.

Investigations led police to Lawrence’s Matthew St address where he lives with his elderly mother where it was discovered the reason both Lawrence and the occupants of the Mazda were both at Port Kembla Courthouse was because one of them was involved in an assault matter with a relative of Lawrence.

Shaun Matthew Lawrence leaving Wollongong Local Court on Wednesday. Picture: Dylan Arvela

“His driving put people at risk with nothing to do with what was occurring,” Magistrate Elks said.

“[The crash occurred] on a road where vehicles travel at high speeds and there is little opportunity to avoid others.

“The conduct is consistent with his time driving - he has a terrible record.”

While on bail, Lawrence nicked a Micro SD card from Coles in Wollongong which he said he needed to transfer photos from his phone to give them to his children.

Lawrence was seen by security folding the packaging and shoving it in his pocket before grabbing a can of Passiona and proceeding to pay for it.

He walked out of the store before security and a police officer apprehended him.

Lawrence turned around and put money on the counter, but the officer picked it up and told him “You can’t do that, it’s too late for that”.

Lawrence denied he intended to steal the Micro SD cards, saying in the witness box he had a “tough few weeks” with his fiancee dying in a house fire just two weeks prior.

“My mind was in another place, it’s the only reason I didn’t pay for it,” Lawrence said.

“It was stupid [to fold it in half and put it in my pocket]. All of this has happened so it was a stupid idea.”

Shaun Matthew Lawrence was sentenced to an 18-month ICO in Wollongong Local Court.

Magistrate Elks acknowledged Lawrence was experiencing a difficult period in his life, however, he refused to accept his reasoning on the basis he would have felt the card in his pocket when he put the change in it for the Passiona.

“I am satisfied he folded the card in an attempt to conceal it,” the magistrate said.

“Upon placing the change in his pocket he would, in my view, have felt the card. I do not accept that he would not have felt it.

“I do not accept that he forgot it, I am satisfied he went there with the express intention to shoplift.”