George Kakaroubas sentenced for doing two burnouts on Rocky Point Rd, Kogarah

A construction boss and father has described his actions at an “extreme level of stupidity” after being caught doing two burnouts on a main road in peak hour traffic.

George Kakaroubas pleaded guilty to driving recklessly and causing a loss of traction. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A construction boss has been punished for doing two burnouts one kilometre apart where both directions of peak hour traffic were forced to stop on a main road in Sydney’s south.

George Gerasimos Kakaroubas, 31, pleaded guilty to driving recklessly and causing a loss of traction in Sutherland Local Court this week.

Agreed facts said the Taren Point father drove his Mazda BT50 in a northerly direction along Rocky Point Rd in Kogarah on October 17 last year shortly after 5pm.

He stopped and performed a burnout by making the rear tyres lose traction and spun them continuously for about 30 seconds.

The rear of the car was in the northbound lane while the front of the car entered the lane of oncoming southbound traffic.

Kakaroubas was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court.

Traffic in both directions came to a stop and motorists recorded the burnout.

Kakaroubas then continued about 900m along the wet road and three minutes later he stopped at the intersection of Rocky Point Rd and Princes Hwy at a red traffic light.

He then did another burnout for about six seconds, travelling through the red light with traffic again forced to stop.

Police received numerous complaints from motorists.

Kakaroubas was identified and police spoke to him at his home on October 19 where he admitted he was driving at the time and the car was registered to his construction company.

The car was confiscated and his licence was suspended.

In court, Kakaroubas’s lawyer said his client characterised his conduct as an “extreme level of stupidity” and acknowledged he acted recklessly and put other people in danger.

The lawyer said Kakaroubas’ actions occurred the same week of his late mother’s birthday, which took an emotional toll on him.

The court heard Kakaroubas had seen a psychologist following his mother’s death earlier that year but stopped before he re-engaged after he was charged.

A psychological report noted he was suffering from significant distress, depression and made impulsive decisions.

The lawyer said Kakaroubas has suffered financially too because he had to hire a driver and he was paying for the cost of his car to be impounded.

Magistrate Philip Stewart acknowledged Kakaroubas had made positive steps towards rehabilitation but was not convinced there was a nexus between his grief and the offending.

He said the burnouts were serious because of the danger Kakaroubas put other motorists in, particularly when he went through the red light.

Kakaroubas was sentenced to a two-year community correction order, will have to complete 180 hours of community service, continue counselling and was disqualified from driving for two years.