Mildura Magistrates court: Ha Ngoc Nguyen fined over drug driving

A Mildura farm worker with a “very poor” driving history has been told he’ll go to jail if he gets back on the road.

Ha Ngoc Nguyen has been fined thousands due to his very poor driving history

A poor driving history and a drug problem have led a Mildura farm worker to thousands in fines and years off the road after he was caught driving with drugs in his system yet again.

On April 8 Ha Ngoc Nguyen was caught driving unlicensed through Merbein.

When police pulled him over, he was tested for drugs and methylamphetaime was found in his system.

His car was impounded.

Nguyen’s lawyer Anne Hennessy made submissions the farmworker had lived in Mildura most of his adult life and spent most of his time caring for his mother.

“He came to Australia at the age of 19 and he moved around the country before settling in Mildura for the last 17 years and starting work as a seasonal worker,” she said.

“He cares for his elderly mother and has three children he also looks after.”

Magistrate Michael Coghlan said Nguyen clearly had a problem with drugs that had led to him also having a very poor driving history.

“It’s quite clear that for a number of years, you’ve had a problem with drugs, you have a very poor history of offending and you have had terms of imprisonment,” he said.

Nguyen was convicted and fined $1500 for drug driving and another $1000 for driving without a license and was banned from driving for two years.

“Given your poor history, if you drive again you will face up to years in prison,” Magistrate Michael Coghlan said.