Mitchell Dean Sawyer: Southport man fakes medical certificate to get licence back

An aspiring accountant hoping to get his driver’s licence back has landed himself in court after he handed up a fraudulent medical certificate. Read what happened here.

Mitchell Dean Sawyer, 37, pleaded guilty when he appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday to one count of uttering and one count of forgery. Picture: Emily Walker

A Southport man hoping to get his driver’s licence back has landed himself in court after he handed up a fraudulent medical certificate that claimed to be from his doctor.

Mitchell Dean Sawyer, 37, pleaded guilty when he appeared in the Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday to one count of uttering and one count of forgery.

The court heard that Sawyer, with intent to defraud, forged a medical certificate to enable him to obtain a driver’s licence and uttered the fraudulent document at Elanora between September 24 and 27, 2024.

Sawyer’s solicitor, Daniel Gilbert from Gatenby Criminal Lawyers, told the court his client had been offered a job in industrial painting and needed his driver’s licence for the role.

The court heard Sawyer, who has schizophrenia, was suspended from holding a licence after suffering seizures caused by his medication and needed a medical certificate to obtain his licence.

Defence solicitor Daniel Gilbert (left) leaves the Southport Courthouse with his client Mitchell Dean Sawyer (right). Picture: Emily Walker

Mr Gilbert told the court his client would have waited two months to see a neurosurgeon in order to get the certificate and lost the painting job opportunity in that time.

After committing the forgery, Sawyer managed to see a neurosurgeon, receive formal approval and legally obtained his licence.

The court heard Sawyer has since been suspended from holding a licence until October 2026 due to a number of road traffic-related offences.

Mr Gilbert said Sawyer, who he added was remorseful for his actions, did eventually go through the correct means after the offence to obtain his licence.

He said that if a conviction was recorded it could cause some difficulty for Sawyer, who has expressed an interest in pursuing a career in accounting or draftsmanship.

He submitted that a fine would be appropriate, while police prosecution suggested Sawyer received a one-month term of imprisonment wholly suspended.

The court heard Sawyer has engaged with TAFE to get training for other jobs, has been provided supports from his NDIS provider and has the support of his mother, who was seated in the courtroom.

“And yet the choices you are making are not choices that will support you despite having all other supports around you,” Magistrate Veena Goverdhan said.

She told Sawyer if he kept going down the path he was on, he would end up doing time in custody.

“I understand that,” he said.

He was convicted and fined $600.

A conviction was recorded.