Leah Arnold-Chen: Kogarah adult entertainer faces court over shocking driving record

A Kogarah mother fronted Sutherland Local Court to explain why she can’t follow driving rules. She was lambasted by a magistrate after her shocking driving record was outlined in court.

An adult entertainer has narrowly avoided being sent to jail after she was caught driving for the eighth time while suspended.

Kogragh’s Leah Mae Arnold-Chen, 27, was lambasted by a magistrate when she fronted Sutherland Local Court on Thursday where she was told she had “no right to drive on the road”.

She will not be allowed to get behind the wheel of a car for six months after she was sentenced to an intensive correction order for continuing to add to her terrible driving record.

Documents tendered to court said Arnold-Chen was driving a white Jeep Wrangler on Port Hacking Rd in Miranda on October 15 last year about 10.45am when police signalled for her to pull over.

She stopped on Parraweena Rd before police approached and she admitted to being on her mobile phone.

When asked to produce her licence she told officers she did not have one because she was disqualified from driving, telling them she “needed to get around still” despite knowing she was banned.

Police checks revealed Arnold-Chen, who had held a learner’s licence, had been suspended about a month prior when she was caught driving unaccompanied.

She was arrested and taken to Sutherland Police Station and was later charged with driving a motor vehicle while her licence was suspended.

Leah Arnold-Chen had taken been suspended a month prior when she was caught driving while a learner unaccompanied. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

The court heard Arnold-Chen is the only carer for her seven-year-old daughter.

Her lawyer said Arnold-Chen previously worked in the “adult entertainment industry but it had a negative impact” on her and she had since moved on from the career.

He said a report tendered to the court indicated Arnold-Chen had “experienced a traumatic childhood”, had been diagnosed with an mental illness and was seeking treatment from a psychiatrist which she planned to continue to help her deal with her anger and childhood issues.

He said she had a “troubling history of being a disqualified or cancelled driver” but had taken driving lessons in February 2022.

“She is making positive steps to move forward from her previous offending behaviour,” the lawyer said.

Magistrate Philip Stewart said Arnold-Chen had “no right to drive a motor vehicle on the road in the community” noting it was the eighth time she had her licence suspended, disqualified or cancelled.

He said the only reason she was not going into full-time custody was because her seven-year-old daughter needed her and she had taken positive steps towards her rehabilitation.

Magistrate Stewart warned Arnold-Chen to not come back before the court for driving while disqualified or she faced going into jail.

Arnold-Chen was convicted and sentenced to an intensive correction order for seven months and was disqualified from driving for six months. She must continue her psychiatrist treatment and be abstinent from drugs.