Mark Broadbent: Man sentenced after drug driving, bail breaches

A man busted growing weed has faced court over a range of bail breaches and illegal driving offences, including abusing a female driver on his motorbike.

Mark Broadbent was fined and disqualified from driving for two years in the Ringwood Magistrates' Court on June 8 for various offences, including drug possession and cultivating cannabis. File picture.

A father of young children has been released from custody after various illegal driving offences and bail breaches.

Mark Broadbent, who was also busted growing cannabis, faced Ringwood Magistrates’ Court via video link from custody on June 8 and pleaded guilty to a string of matters dating back to January 2020.

He had spent 70 days in custody since his arrest on April 1, when he was tracked down by officers about 2am while driving on Albert Ave Boronia.

Officers discovered Broadbent had an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court on a separate matter, and also found a small amount of cannabis in a backpack inside the car, which he confirmed was his.

The court heard Broadbent’s offending dated back to January 7, 2020, when he approached and verbally abused a female driver while riding his motorbike in Vermont South.

Broadbent blocked the woman’s way with his bike, kicked her bonnet and damaged a mirror, then fled as police arrived.

On March 21, 2020, officers caught Broadbent riding his motorbike on EastLink in Scoresby while he was suspended, and later found methamphetamine in his system after an oral fluid test.

In another incident on April 5, 2021, police visited Broadbent’s ex-partner’s home in Epping over a separate matter, and found two aspen dexamfetamine tablets in a jumper pocket.

Officers also found cannabis plants in pots at the home, and arrested and charged Broadbent with cultivating cannabis, drug possession and committing an indictable offence on bail.

Ringwood prosecutor Senior Constable Andrew Cove told the court that when he was asked why he was growing the drug, Broadbent said: “Because I smoke choof every day, I’m sick of buying s***.”

Court documents showed Broadbent failed to appear at Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on March 21 this year in relation to incidents on April 5, 2021.

Magistrate Jan Maclean allowed Broadbent to be released from custody but told him it was a “line ball” decision to not remand him further due to the nature of his offending.

“You haven’t done yourself any favours with this offending and now it’s up to you with how to make it work, “ she said.

Broadbent had his driver’s license cancelled for two years and was given a further six month suspension for his drug driving offences.

He was also fined $500 and ordered to resume some community work under a corrections order.