Sovereign citizen Elizabeth Simpson, of Fairlight, fails in bid to dodge traffic charges in Manly Local Court

A sovereign citizen has made a bizarre bid to dodge charges in a Sydney court, claiming to be a “trust” but ending up with a serious dent in her bank balance.

Elizabeth Simpson with a supporter outside court. Picture: Manly Daily

A tough-talking magistrate has put a serious dent in a sovereign citizen’s bank balance, fining her more than $4000 after she bizarrely described herself as a “trust”.

Fairlight woman Elizabeth Simpson, 42, faced Manly Local Court on Thursday, strangely claiming she was not herself.

“For the record, I’m not the defendant, Elizabeth Simpson,” she told magistrate Lisa Stapleton.

“I’m not the name summoned here.”

Ms Stapleton retorted: “You’ve got a misguided view of the law.”

Elizabeth Simpson, who was whacked with $4200 in fines by Manly Local Court. Picture: Manly Daily

Simpson was facing charges of driving while her licence was cancelled, driving an unregistered vehicle, driving an uninsured vehicle, using a vehicle without the motor vehicle tax being paid, and using a vehicle with an unauthorised number plate.

The charges were laid after police pulled Simpson over as she drove her VW Golf in Neutral Bay on October 6.

Manly Local Court. Picture: Monique Harmer

Officers had noticed its number plates read “RRO44 Commonwealth of Australia”.

When asked which state the car was registered in, she replied that it was registered to the “Royal Registry de jure, being the Commonwealth of Australia”.

Police told her the car was unregistered in NSW and she was driving on a cancelled licence.

This prompted Simpson to produce a “certificate of registration” from the Royal Registry de jure, and to claim she only “lived under” Commonwealth laws, which she had not broken.

The Australian red ensign flag is a symbol of the sovereign citizen movement in Australia.

A website for the so-called “registry”, which has a post office box in regional Victoria, states: “No corporation rule, code or practice applies to a registered subject of the Crown, which includes corporation road rules . . not assented to by our reigning monarch”.

Simpson, who had four supporters in court on Thursday, refused to step up to a microphone so the proceedings could be properly recorded.

“Can you prove I’m not here today?” she asked Ms Stapleton from the body of the court.

The magistrate was unimpressed.

“I’m not answering nonsensical questions,” she replied.

But Simpson continued refusing to cooperate.

“Fake charges here today, your honour,” Simpson said.

“I’m not the name summoned here.”

Simpson then tried to present a sheaf of papers to the court, only to be ignored by Ms Stapleton.

The magistrate told Simpson, who had not entered any pleas, that if she claimed she “was not in court”, she would be dealt with “as if you’re not here”.

The magistrate found the five offences had been “made out” and fined Simpson a total of $4214.

Sovereign citizens are part of an anti-government movement.

They claim governments are the illegitimate product of a conspiracy that subverted an original, lawful government.