South Morang big nut dad Siotame Kavapalu pleads guilty to multiple driving offences

A South Morang unit has claimed his 130kg frame is good for handling alcohol but his atrocious driving record says otherwise.

Siotame Kavapalu pleaded guilty to a slew of driving offences. Facebook.

A South Morang man who caused a collision, almost ran a cyclist and a motorist off the road and stonewalled police when his booze-stenched car was found wrapped around a tree has lost his licence. .

Siotame Kavapalu, 26, was sentenced in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court to a $3000 fine and conviction after pleading guilty to raft of driving offences including drink driving, speeding and dangerous driving.

Kavapalu’s protracted period of road madness included multiple incidents which occurred between June 2019 and May 2020.

Police intercepted Kavapalu in the drive thru at the Club Hotel in Ferntree Gully after they spotted the dad drive quickly over lanes of traffic in May last year.

Officers who spoke to Kavapalu said his breath smelled “strongly of intoxicating liquor” and he was slurring his words.

Kavapalu refused a breath test then abused police.

“F*** you man,” Kavapalu said.

“Go f*** yourself.”

Police called for backup after fearing Kavapalu was going to assault and headbutt them.

The court heard Kavapalu, who also pleaded guilty to assaulting an emergency services worker, used his “size and strength” to drag the officers as they attempted to get him down.

Both officers sustained injuries and one member was unable to go back on beat duty for two weeks.

Kavapalu had earlier blew over the limit after being involved in a collision at Lalor in June 2019.

The road menace had his licence suspended on the spot and cancelled in February last year but it didn’t stop him from driving.

In March 2020, Kavapalu did a runner on police after he was spotted driving a Honda Accord through Footscray without headlights.

Kavapalu reversed into oncoming traffic which caused another car to break suddenly, the court heard.

Kavapalu then fled through a McDonald’s before driving on the wrong side of Kinnear St and almost colliding with a cyclist and another motorist.

Police ceased their pursuit but caught up Kavapalu after the registered owner of the Honda nominated him as the driver.

Kavapalu was also caught speeding through Carlton with his partner and children in the car in June last year.

In an earlier incident, police discovered Kavapalu’s “undriveable” Toyota Kluger banged up into a tree on Lakes Boulevard in South Morang just before 6am on January 1 last year.

Investigators said the abandoned Kluger had blocked a lane of traffic and stunk of alcohol.

Police fronted at Kavapalu’s home the next day but he claimed he was away fishing at the time of accident.

Kavapalu also claimed he left the car unlocked in his driveway with a spare key inside and his insurance company was “sorting the matter out”.

Kavapalu, who pleaded guilty to failing to give police information regarding his Kluger, never reported the car stolen nor did he nominate a driver.

Kavapalu, who was “highly remorseful” for his offending, submitted a letter of apology to the court.

It was submitted Kavapalu had been an alcoholic but “no longer drinks alcohol”.

Kavapalu, who stands 184cm and weighs 130kg, can handle his liquor, the court was told.

“He can handle a fair amount of alcohol,” Kavapalu’s lawyer said.

“Please be aware of his weight when assessing those (BAC) numbers.”

Kavapalu licence was cancelled for two years.

[e-mail]