Drivers who have recently faced Shepparton Magistrates’ Court: Ryan Trechternach, Riley O’Brien

A fool’s gallery of road rogues have continued to face the Shepparton court being busted for unlicensed and unregistered driving, and even trying to evade police.

The latest cast of road menaces have fronted Shepparton Magistrates’ Court for a range of driving offences.

Unlicensed hit-and-run driver slapped with $3000

A man told a court he wants more “aspirations” in life after he was caught driving while suspended, crashed into another vehicle while reversing and did not exchange details.

Ryan Trechternach, 29, pleaded guilty at the Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on Monday July 17 to failure to stop on police directions and driving while disqualified.

Police saw Trechternach driving a white Holden sedan at slow speed near a Caltex service station in Bass before evading police just after 10am on January 1, 2020.

Trechternach eventually parked his vehicle and was approached by police, the court heard.

Officers learned the 29-year-old’s probationary driver’s licence was cancelled on January 16, 2016 and he had failed to complete a drink driving program.

Trechternach did not comment when officers asked him why he was evading police and why he was driving while disqualified.

In 2019 police saw a station wagon driven by Trechternach, who was then pulled over where he told officers he did not have a licence.

The court heard police confirmed his identity and discovered his licence had expired on August 1, 2016.

Ryan Trechternach pleaded guilty at the Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on Monday to failure to stop for police, driving while disqualified and leaving the scene of a vehicle accident.

When officers asked why Trechternach was driving without holding a licence, he told them there was “no reason” and he “wasn’t going that far”.

Trechternach also failed to provide his drink driving certificate.

On October 29 2018, Trechternach was driving a blue falcon sedan, where he reversed out of a car park in Wantirna South and crashed into another vehicle and failed to report the collision, the court heard.

Trechternach’s licence was also cancelled at the time of the offending.

Trechternach told the court there was “not much” he could say.

“I want more aspiration in my life,” Trechternach said.

“I was making wrong decisions at a young age.”

Trechternach also told the court he was working in home and property management and wanted to take over his father’s business in the future.

He told Magistrate Peter Dunn he does not have a licence as it was still disqualified.

Mr Dunn convicted and fined Trechternach $3000.

Unlicensed tradie’s ‘test drive’ backfires

A unlicensed tradie who took his old vehicle out for a test drive has told a court he regrets it “deeply”.

Riley O’Brien, 21, pleaded guilty at the Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on Monday July 17 for being a learner driver without appropriate supervisor, fail to produce licence on request, drive without L-plates, use unregistered motor vehicle and driving vehicle without displaying number plates.

The court heard police pulled over an unregistered white Toyota Corona in Shepparton with out displaying number plates just after noon on March 16.

O’Brien told police he had a learner’s permit but failed to produce it.

He proceeded to tell them he had a permit from VicRoads but also failed to produce the permit, stating he left it at home.

Riley O'Brien pleaded guilty at the Shepparton Magistrates' Court on Monday.

He later admitted he did not have a permit from VicRoads.

Officers also spoke to the female passenger in the front seat who held a probationary driver’s licence.

O’Brien told police he drove the vehicle around the block to “test” it out.

O’Brien’s lawyer John McNamara told the court O’Brien had recently purchased the vehicle which wasn’t in a running condition at first, but that O’Brien “got it to a running condition”.

Mr McNamara said O’Brien “regrets it deeply” and it was a “ridiculous decision on his behalf” and was just test driving his “elderly motor vehicle”, which cost him $1200 to remove from the impoundment.

Mr McNamara also said O’Brien was working full time as a labourer.

Mr Dunn fined O’Brien $1500 without conviction.