Chillinit rapper Blake Turnell faces court charged over driving offences
A court has heard a prominent Sydney rapper — whose criminal past includes assaulting police — has moved back home with his mum after pleading guilty to driving charges. Chillinit has made ARIA-accredited platinum singles and once performed at a major hip hop festival.
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A Sydney rapper has sold his luxury car and moved back in with his mother so she can “keep an eye on him” after he ran a give way sign, hit another car and fled the scene while he was driving disqualified for the second time.
Blake Turnell – also known as Chillinit – faced court for the second time this year after he was charged with driving disqualified, failing to heed a give way sign and failing to give details after a crash in Penshurst on September 2 last year.
Police facts reveal Turnell turned right through the give way line on Sailsbury St as the victim approached on Forest Rd, causing a minor collision and no injuries.
When the victim attempted to meet him in a side street to exchange details, Turnell fled.
Magistrate Michael Connell heard Turnell’s mother was “keeping an eye” on her 26-year-old son to ensure he stays out of trouble after he moved back into her home in Sydney’s south.
“He seems to be a talented person with a bright future,” Mr Connell said.
“The criminal history reflects very bad decisions – there’s an inevitable end point and if you continue you will end up going into custody, you need to reflect on that.”
Turnell was caught when the victim’s daughter recognised him as someone she had once played cricket with and confirmed his identity to police.
Turnell pleaded guilty and Mr Connell sentenced him to a one-year community corrections order, disqualified him from driving for another six months and fined him $600.
The Hurstville rapper’s tracks One Breath One Take and Wish You Well 2 recently became ARIA-accredited platinum singles and he once performed at now-defunct hip hop festival FOMO.
“Your Honour can probably see in the references from his mother and his manager that he is quite a talented young man,” his solicitor told the court.
“He wants to use his profile to spread a positive message to the community.”
Chillinit’s recent Instagram posts included mostly naked women, wads of cash, cannabis, and sometimes all three at once.
When he appeared at court in October 2019 charged with driving disqualified, Turnell claimed to have rolled a joint on the courthouse’s customer service counter just metres away from police officers.
In an Instagram video, Turnell showed himself entering the courthouse with a vacuum sealed bag in a bumbag.
The next video showed what looked like chopped cannabis on a courthouse counter.
“Rolling joints at the courthouse like IDGAF (I don’t give a f*ck),” the post was captioned.
Turnell, who frequently flaunts displays of wealth and luxury on his social media, now resides in a modest rendered brick townhouse in Hurstville with his mother.
CHILLINIT’S CRIMINAL HISTORY
November 2013: given a two-year good behaviour bond for assaulting and resisting police
September 2015: fined $500 for prohibited drug possession
August 2017: given an 18-month good behaviour bond for drug driving
August 2017: fined $200 for driving without a licence
November 2018: fined $600 for prohibited drug possession
May 2019: fined $1500 for driving while disqualified and disqualified for 12 months
May 2019: fined $400 for stating a false name
July 2019: fined $300 for possessing equipment for administering prohibited drugs
July 2019: fined $500 for having custody of a knife
July 2019: fined $400 for using a mobile phone while driving
July 2019: fined $750 for driving with an expired licence
January 2020: fined $150 for possessing prohibited drugs
January 2020: fined $850 for littering a lit cigarette
January 2020: disqualified from driving for 16 months for driving while disqualified