Dharsha Maurice, Dane McNeill and Napat-On Jinnorot plead guilty in Moorabbin court to driving offences

A woman has blamed her driving on a disqualified licence on “period pain” in a unique defence to the court over her offending. Her story and more from Moorabbin court.

Dangerous drivers and their strange excuses have passed through the doors of Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court, including one woman who claimed period pain made her offend.

A woman has claimed period pain to be the reason behind her dangerous driving, joining a mother caught driving with meth in her system and a man more than twice over the legal limit.

Dharsha Maurice

A Bentleigh East mother-of-two caught driving with meth in her system told the court she was “just collecting hard rubbish”.

Dharsha Maurice, 42, pleaded guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on February 20, after being caught driving while suspended and with meth in her system.

The court heard Maurice’s licence had been suspended on May 18 in 2023, due to an accumulation of demerit points, where she was banned from getting behind the wheel for three months.

Maurice claimed to be on her way to Hungry Jacks when she was caught driving under the influence.

Police witnessed Maurice driving on August 10 last year in Oakleigh, eight days prior to her suspension period ending.

Maurice returned a positive oral fluid test for methamphetamines during the traffic stop.

“We were going to Hungry Jacks and to look for hard rubbish,” she said.

“I had no idea my licence was suspended.”

In court on Tuesday, Maurice reiterated that she had not been aware of her licence suspension, despite her address being correct.

“Honestly I do think the correspondence got lost but it’s not excuse,” she said.

Magistrate Luisa Bazzani cancelled Maurice’s licence for 12 months over the drug driving charge and fined her $800 with conviction.

Dane McNeill

A commercial insurance broker caught behind the wheel with more than twice the legal limit of alcohol has told a court he “just wanted to move his car”.

Dane McNeill, 40, pleaded guilty to drink driving in the Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on February 20.

The court heard McNeill had been seen in a carpark near the Mordialloc railway station on September 22 at 3.09am last year, behind the wheel of his white Mercedes Benz.

When officers approached McNeill, they said his speech was slurred, so he undertook a breath test.

A late night breath test catches out insurance broker when he returned a 0.145 reading.

McNeill blew a reading of 0.145, making him more than twice the legal limit.

In interview, he told police he’d had three pots of beer and four glasses of whisky that evening at a post-work celebration.

McNeill told officers he knew he was too far gone, but that he’d just “wanted to move his car”.

The court heard the father of two had already completed a road trauma awareness course and was “absolutely aware of the consequences of drink driving”.

Magistrate Luisa Bazzani gave him a chance to walk away without a conviction, but still had to cancel his licence for the mandatory 14 months.

“I know you were trying to do the right thing, but ultimately you were driving,” she said.

McNeill was also ordered to pay a $450 fine.

Napat-On Jinnorot

A woman has blamed her driving on a disqualified licence on “period pain” in a unique defence to the court over her offending.

Napat-On Jinnorot pleaded guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on February 20 to one charge of driving with a disqualified licence.

Jinnorot told police she’d been driving while disqualified because she had period pain and didn’t want to be late for work.

The court heard Jinnorot’s licence had been suspended on May 11 in 2023 for 17 months after she was caught drink driving.

On September 11 last year, police saw the full time cleaner behind the wheel on the Nepean Hwy in Cheltenham.

After they intercepted her, she made full admissions to her Victorian licence being disqualified, but provided her Thai licence to officers.

Jinnorot said she didn’t remember when she’d lost her licence, but knew it had been for drink driving.

In court on Tuesday, when asked why she had been driving, Jinnorot said she’d had “period pain, and didn’t want to be late for work”.

Magistrate Luisa Bazzani was not impressed with Jinnorot’s reoffending.

“You’re caught drink driving and your licence is suspended, and four months later you’re caught by police driving again using your Thai licence,” she said.

“You must not drive, even on your Thai licence. You can go to jail for driving while disqualified.”

Jinnorot was fined $300 without conviction.