Irymple truck driver Darren Gili makes racially charged remark after being found guilty of assault

A veteran truck driver from Irymple erupted in court with a racially charged remark after being sentenced over a road rage confrontation.

Darren Gili pleaded guilty to one count of assault relating to an incident that occurred on a Mildura road before claiming the incident was completely fabricated. Picture: Generic/iStock

A Irymple truck driver has exploded in court, lashing out at a magistrate and making a racially charged remark after pleading guilty to a road rage confrontation.

Darren Gili, 54, represented himself as he fronted Mildura Magistrates’ Court to plead guilty to one charge of assault after tracking down another driver and threatening him.

The court heard Gili, a heavy vehicle truck driver for more than three decades, got annoyed at a driver while he was behind the wheel of his B-double and yelled abuse at the victim as he overtook him.

Hours later Gili, now in his Toyota HiLux, tracked down the victim and approached him on foot telling him “I am going to smash you”.

The assault charge was related to intimidation as opposed to a physical assault.

Magistrate Patrick Southey remarked that Gili’s aggressive behaviour had the hallmarks of a truck driver high on methamphetamine.

“By your behaviour and the fact you drive a truck, you start to wonder if you’re on meth,” Mr Southey said.

Magistrate Patrick Southey said Gili was one of the more unpleasant characters he has had to deal with in his time in Mildura.

“Don’t put us all in the same basket, I don’t do drugs,” Gili snapped back aggressively at the magistrate.

Mr Southey began listing numerous assault charges Gili had been found guilty of over the past few years.

“Have there been excuses every time you have been found guilty of assault, Mr Gili?” Magistrate Southey said.

“Uh, yeah there have been circumstances,” Gili replied.

Gili claimed older charges were trumped up and the latest allegations were fabricated and insisted he didn’t drink or do drugs, despite a prior order to attend alcohol counselling as part of a previous community corrections sentence.

“He has an unbelievably short fuse. Road rage is appalling. Luckily, there is no physical violence in this instance,” Mr Southey remarked.

“Get a hold of yourself — everyone gets annoyed on the roads.”

Gili was fined $1193.10, an amount close to one week’s wages for him. In response, he shouted, “Maybe I should be black.”

Mr Southey described Gili as one of the most unpleasant defendants he had encountered in his time at Mildura Magistrates’ Court.