Forest Kousal, 28: Elanora Heights tradie with 5-year drive ban caught behind wheel twice in two days

A northern beaches tradie on a five-year driving ban, who was caught behind the wheel twice in two days, told cops his girlfriend made him do it. See what a Sydney court thought of his excuse.

Forest Kousal, pleaded guilty in Manly Local Court to two counts of driving while disqualified. The roofer said his girlfriend wanted a lift. Picture: Monique Harmer

A northern beaches tradie who was on a five-year driving ban, was caught behind the wheel twice in two days.

The roofer’s excuse for driving? His girlfriend made him do it.

Forest Kousal, 28, of Elanora Heights, was handed the lengthy licence disqualification in 2021 after he failed to have an interlock alcohol breath device fitted to his car’s ignition after he was convicted of mid-range drink driving.

That ban was to end on September 16, 2026.

But at 6.30am on February 26 this year, police were called to his home following witness reports that a man was shouting that a cat had opened the lid to his bin, allowing maggots to breed.

Forest Kousal, 28, of Elanora Heights, outside Manly Local Court on Wednesday. Picture: Manly Daily

When officers asked for his identity details, Kousal refused and began abusing them, according to a police facts sheet tendered to Manly Local Court on Wednesday.

Before officers were able to learn his name, Kousal drove off in a Mazda 323, registered in his girlfriend’s name, saying he had to get to work.

Manly Court heard that Forest Kousal was not keen to provide his ID details to police. Picture: Monique Harmer

The officers were able to ask his girlfriend his name. A licence check revealed that Kousal was a disqualified driver.

At 3.45pm the next day, police pulled the Mazda over at Elanora Heights and found Kousal behind the wheel.

He asked to produce a licence and he said: “I don’t have one on me. There are some issues with fines or something,” according to the facts sheet.

Kousal was arrested. He pleaded guilty to two counts of driving while disqualified.

In a letter of apology to Magistrate Margaret McGlynn, Kousal wrote that on February 27 he was “urged by my girlfriend to pick her up”.

“So I succumbed to her demands and drove,” Kousal wrote.

“(I) was only a few metres from home when I was pulled over.

“I regret each decision to drive and I should never have done that.”

Ms McGlynn told Kousal he should not have “succumbed to the demands of your girlfriend” and should have made his own decisions.

“You are your own agent,’’ she said.

Ms McGlynn said she would be surprised if the two occasions he was caught were the only times he drove during the ban.

Kousal was given a community correction order to be of good behaviour for 12 months, fined $880 and disqualified from driving for another seven months.