Adam Fawcett: Palm Beach tradie caught driving without a licence five times in less than three years

A northern beaches’ tradie — labelled “selfish and irresponsible” — for driving without a licence, five times in less than three years has been sentenced.

Adam Fawcett (centre), an 26-year-old apprentice electrician from Palm Beach, outside Manly Local Court where he was sentenced to 10 months’ home detention for being caught driving without a licence. It was the fifth time he had been caught in the last three years. Picture: Manly Daily

A northern beaches’ apprentice with a poor traffic record who repeatedly drove without a licence has been jailed for 10 months.

But would-be electrician Adam Ross Fawcett, from Palm Beach — caught behind the wheel five times in less than three years when his licence was either suspended or disqualified — wasn’t thrown behind bars.

Instead, Manly Local Court ordered the 26-year-old trainee sparky, who defied court orders to stay out of the drivers’ seat, allowed him to serve his jail sentence in his own home.

Magistrate Robyn Denes sentenced Fawcett to 10 months jail, but said the P-plater could serve that sentence in the community under an intensive correction order.

As part of the order he will be detained in his home, but will be allowed to go to work. Fawcett must also wear an electronic monitoring bracelet on his ankle.

Adam Fawcett (right) an apprentice electrician from Palm Beach, outside Manly Local Court on August 30. Picture: Manly Daily

“Drive again, and you’re in (jail),” Ms Denses warned him on Wednesday. He was also hit with another 12-month licence disqualification.

The court previously heard that Fawcett was caught driving while disqualified at 7.40am on May 30.

Police had pulled him over, in a Toyota Hiace van, for a random breath test on Warriewood Rd, Warriewood. When asked to produce his licence, he replied: “It’s disqualified”.

Police than asked why he was driving. Fawcett said: “I’m running late for work”.

At his previous court appearance on August 30, Magistrate Denes chided the tradie, calling him “selfish and irresponsible” for consistently driving while his licence was either disqualified or cancelled.

Fawcett’s traffic record, tendered to court, showed he had been convicted on April 12 for driving while his licence was cancelled for having too many demerit points.

On February 2, he was convicted of driving while disqualified.

Adam Fawcett will have to be electronically monitored as part of his 10-month home detention sentence. File picture: Rohan Kelly

He was also convicted of driving while disqualified on July 19, 2021 and on May 3, 2021.

Fawcett was also convicted of mid range drink driving in September 2020.

His solicitor told the court on August 30 his client “for convenience, gets behind the wheel when he shouldn’t”.

“I have explained to Mr Fawcett that this is a case where people like him, end up in jail,” the solicitor said. “It’s a dangerous thing to do.”

Magistrate Denes told Fawcett that he only had two months to serve on his latest licence cancellation when he decided to drive again on May 30.

“This has got everything to do with you being selfish and irresponsible … you being late for work.” she said. “I just think that you didn’t think you’d get caught.”

She convicted Fawcett on August 30 and told him that he would be jailed for 10 months.

But she adjourned the final sentencing until October 11 to allow him to be assessed for home detention.