Ex-Hawk Brian Lake in trouble again over overgrown nature strip
AFL Premiership legend Brian Lake’s tumultuous post-footy life has taken another wrong turn after he was fined for letting his nature strip become a community safety hazard.
North West
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He made his career on the hallowed turf of the MCG, but AFL bad boy Brian Lake has landed himself in court for failing to keep his nature strip in check.
Lake, who has been in all sorts of strife over the years, let weeds out the front of his Caroline Springs nature strip grow so big they turned into a community safety hazard.
On Friday he was fined $1200, which arguably beats his six nights in custody in Japan in 2018 after a late-night altercation in Osaka.
Melton City Council prosecuted the former Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn champion at Sunshine Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
Lake, who did not appear at court, was slapped with five charges including three for not maintaining his nature strip. The other two were in relation to allowing a plant to interfere with a road or council land.
Council issued notices to Lake to clean up the mess but he ignored them, landing himself in court. The offences, which occurred between May 2017 and November 2018, were all related to his Brunton Ave home.
Melton Council prosecutor Alison May said the council had not received any contact from Lake, a Norm Smith medallist and triple premiership Hawk.
“The aggravated feature of the offences is that there was a safety issue for people with mobility difficulties,” Ms May said.
Judicial Register Samantha Dixon viewed photos of the nature strip and found all charges proven.
“It’s a safety issue for anyone whether or not they have vision or mobility difficulties,” she said.
Melton community safety manager Phil Lovelace said the council had been on to Lake since late 2015 after it received several complaints from neighbours. He said the council was forced to clear the weeds in 2018 after receiving no response from Lake.
The Herald Sun visited Lake’s property after the short hearing but he was not home.
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A stripped-back, unregistered car with a mangled tyre, and a couple of empty Woodstock slabs were outside the house.
Lake’s stepson, Bailee, spoke to the Herald Sun. “There’s no story here,” he said. “Its just council being stupid.”
Bailee, 19, said he thought the problem may be with their gravel nature strip.
Lake was also ordered to pay council costs of $677.40.