Kosmas Zisis pleaded guilty to driving while suspended at Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court

A South Melbourne priest pulled over on his way to church has discovered one of the police’s top commandments — thou shalt not drive on a suspended licence.

Kosmas Zisis, 49, pleaded guilty to driving while suspended at the Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

A Melbourne priest continued to drive to church to see his flock despite being defrocked of his licence after racking up too many demerit points.

Kosmas Zisis, 49, pleaded guilty to driving while suspended at the Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

In March last year, police noticed Zisis, of a South Melbourne church, driving his Ford Falcon on the Western Ring Rd in Glenroy.

After checking his number plate, police found Zisis’ licence had been suspended for three months after an accumulation of demerit points, impounding his car for 30 days.

When asked why he was driving while suspended, the priest told police he was on his way to church.

Zisis’s defence lawyer Vaios Anastassopoulos told the court his client was “very sorry” and “ashamed” of his offending.

“My client moved to Melbourne from Sydney in 2022 and was unfamiliar with the roads … he never received the notices and didn’t know (he was suspended),” he said.

Mr Anastassopoulos said his client did not change his home address with VicRoads and wasn’t aware of the demerit points.

“My client helps elderly people in the community and supports his mother and sister who has two young children.”

Magistrate David Langton said there was “no honest or reasonable answer” as to why Zisis was driving while suspended.

“I trust this has made you realise how important it is to update your details with VicRoads and be careful of the correspondence you receive,” he said.

Mr Langton said it was Zisis’ responsibility to change his address with VicRoads.

“You need to be up to speed with your demerit points, no pun intended.”

Zisis was fined $1000 without a conviction recorded.