Anthony Ottaviani-Giammarco: South Morang man keeps drug driving
This drugged-up South Morang madman has been labelled a “car accident waiting to happen”. And not even almost killing himself in a horror crash has stopped him.
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A man whose history of drug driving includes almost killing himself behind the wheel has left a magistrate appalled at his offending.
Anthony Ottaviani-Giammarco, 26, was dubbed “just a car accident waiting to happen” when he fronted Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, September 24.
The court heard the South Morang plumber was left in a life-threatening condition after he drove his work van into a large tree on Ballarat Rd, Maidstone on August 23, 2019.
Ottaviani-Giammarco, who had taken methamphetamine, had been seen repeatedly swerving onto the wrong side of the road before he drove across two lanes of oncoming traffic and crashed.
Firefighters had to cut him out of the van, which was completely destroyed by the impact of the crash.
Lawyer Natasha Vermezovic said Ottaviani-Giammarco conceded he was lucky he didn’t kill himself or anyone else.
Months later, on March 7, he was again found to be driving on ice after police caught him using his phone while driving in Carlton.
Ottaviani-Giammarco was then caught doing 120km/h in a 60km/h zone and running a red arrow in Lalor on May 5.
When police pulled him over he was found to have texts about buying drugs, two knives and a pool cue that had been turned into a truncheon.
He was remanded in custody after being caught with a stolen motorcycle in Reservoir on August 18, and also pleaded guilty to breaching a community corrections order and stealing number plates.
Ms Vermezovic said her client’s drug use escalated after his accident, but Ms Bolger said it seemed he was “well off the rails” before it.
“You are the person who the community is rightfully fearful of,” she told him.
Ms Bolger said the crash would have been “such a serious wake up call” for most people.
“Really, he’s just a car accident waiting to happen,” she said.
“The misfortunes that have befallen Mr Giammarco come about absolutely as a result of his actions.”
Ms Vermezovic said Ottaviani-Giammarco became a father in February and pushed for him to be given another chance to rehabilitate with a community corrections order.
Ms Bolger sentenced him to three months’ jail, noting 37 days had been served, followed by an 18-month corrections order, and fined him $750.
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