Man blames driving ban on hoons who stole his identity

CHRISTOPHER Nicholls thought he had a decent driving record, until police pulled him over and told him he had been banned from driving until 2020. But it’s not all what it seems.

A Hampton motorist has blamed his licence ban on identity theft.

Christopher Nicholls thought he had a decent driving record, until police pulled him over and told him he had been banned from driving until 2020.

The 68-year-old says he has been forced off the road until then, because dozens of demerit points racked up in his name are fake.

And Mr Nicholls is upset at what he says is a bureaucratic nightmare that won’t let him find out who has falsely used his name.

Mr Nicholls copped a massive 34-month ban because speeding and red light-running drivers, in cars he insists he doesn’t own, named him as the culprit.

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Mr Nicholls, of Hampton, appeared at Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on October 30 on a charge of driving while suspended.

He has pleaded not guilty.

The court heard Mr Nicholls was pulled over by police in Carrum on December 23 last year.

He was told his licence had been suspended from November 2017 until September 2020 because a large number of demerit points had been accrued.

Mr Nicholls said he was shocked and surprised, and until he was stopped, he had no idea people had been falsely nominating him as the offending driver.

He was ordered off the road immediately and hasn’t been allowed to drive since.

His defence lawyer said he had made repeated attempts to get to the bottom of the ‘fake nominations’, but had been constantly blocked by VicRoads and Fines Victoria.

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Mr Nicholls, a fire engineer, stood up in court and said he was being penalised for a situation that was not his fault.

“This has caused all sorts of problems for me,” Mr Nicholls said.

“I’m left in this invidious position of being considered guilty until I can prove innocence.”

Magistrate Anne Goldsbrough said a lot more information needs to be made available for her to consider the case properly.

The case was adjourned until January 16 to give Mr Nicholls and his defence team time to apply for freedom of information requests.

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