Chaminda de Silva pleads guilty in Dandenong to string of bad driving after telling cops meth helped his heart condition
A Narre Warren father on the waiting list for a heart transplant has claimed illicit drugs “helped get his heart going” after he was busted high behind the wheel.
South East
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A Narre Warren man on a waiting list for a new heart told cops he used meth to “help get his heart started” after he was busted drugged up while driving.
Chaminda de Silva, 51, pleaded guilty in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on August 22 to a string of charges including driving while disqualified, driving under the influence of drugs, driving an unregistered and unroadworthy vehicle and was jailed for four months.
The court heard de Silva had racked up a string of road offences between 2022 and 2024.
The father of three was driving through Pakenham in October 2022 while towing an unrestrained trailer without registration when he first caught police attention.
De Silva returned a positive oral fluid test result for methamphetamines and was also driving with a cancelled and disqualified licence.
He claimed he didn’t know he had meth in his system.
In May 2023, he was stopped in Dandenong driving a van with incorrect registration.
During the interception, de Silva removed a piece of black tape from each registration plate, which had altered the appearance of the vehicle’s registration.
Cops found zip-lock bags of meth in de Silva’s pocket and an oral fluid test returned a positive result for the illicit substance.
Police also seized a set of plastic knuckledusters from the cabin of the van.
De Silva had a small capsule attached to his keys containing multiple white tablets – which he claimed to be his heart medication.
When asked why he was drug-driving, he told police methamphetamines “helped with his heart”.
“It helps to get it going,” he said.
After being caught drug driving a further six times, police raided de Silva’s Narre Warren home and seized cannabis, two pairs of knuckledusters and a counterfeit $50 note.
Magistrate Julian Ayres said he was concerned about the “sheer volume” of de Silva’s offending.
“These are repeated offences and are too serious to be dealt with just by way of corrections order.”
Mr Ayres sentenced de Silva to four months behind bars with conviction in combination with an 18 month CCO, to be completed upon his release.
De Silva’s licence was also disqualified for two and a half years and he was fined $3250 with conviction.
