Charlotte Guillet-Jones, Jimmy La, James Zhang and more: Moorabbin’s dangerous drivers
A Selby P-plater caught drink driving on the Monash Freeway and a Noble Park mechanic with a shocking driving history are among the latest dodgy drivers to face court.
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It’s been another busy week for idiot drivers at Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court, with drink drivers and serial offenders all being hauled before court.
Charlotte Guillet-Jones
A P-plater from Selby caught driving with more than triple the legal limit of alcohol in her system has told a court she “didn’t notice” when her tyre burst on the Monash Freeway.
Charlotte Guillet-Jones, 20, pleaded guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on March 25 to one charge of drink driving.
The court heard police received two calls to 000 on November 27 at 4.37am last year, when drivers saw a car pulled over in the emergency lane on the Monash Freeway with a woman lying down next to the car.
When officers reached the scene, they found the car travelling very slowly in the emergency lane.
The court heard Guillet-Jones immediately got out of the car and identified herself, while her friend remained in the passenger seat, appearing to be “extremely intoxicated”.
An ambulance was called for Guillet-Jones’ friend as police also noted the front tyre of the car had burst, and she’d been driving directly on the rim.
Guillet-Jones returned a positive result for a breath test, clocking a blood-alcohol level of 0.16.
The legal limit for P-platers is 0.00.
She received an immediate 12 month suspension.
In court on Monday, Magistrate Luisa Bazzani scolded Guillet-Jones for her offending.
“You were more than three times the legal limit for a fully licenced driver,” she said.
“Your friend was drunk enough that she needed medical attention. This behaviour renders you vulnerable as young women in more ways than just your driving.”
When asked about the tyre, Guillet-Jones said the pair “heard a noise”, but had not realised it was the tire.
Ms Bazzani cancelled Guillet-Jones’ licence for 16 months and fined her $650 without conviction.
She will also have to undergo a drivers education course to get her licence back.
Jia Lim
A Glen Waverley UberEats delivery driver was caught driving while suspended as she was delivering someone’s dinner.
Jia Lim, 29, pleaded guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on March 25 to one charge of driving while suspended.
The court heard Lim’s licence was suspended in February 2023 due to an over accumulation of demerit points.
Police saw Lim driving on Blackburn Rd in Clayton on March 22 last year when she was working as an UberEats delivery driver.
Lim was pulled over and her vehicle was impounded.
In court on Monday, Lim told Magistrate Luisa Bazzani that she “didn’t appreciate the seriousness of driving while suspended” at the time.
Ms Bazzani impressed the significance of Lim’s offending onto her.
“When you’re suspended, you cannot drive,” she said.
“You can’t just pick and choose when to drive as you want to.”
Lim’s licence was suspended for a month and she was fined $400 without conviction.
James Zhang
A Malvern East man caught speeding while suspended has received a lucky break, all because of his pregnant partner.
James Zhang, 32, pleaded guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on March 25 to one charge of driving while suspended and one speeding charge, after police clocked him doing 95km/h in an 80km/h zone.
The court heard Zhang was busted speeding by police on August 1 last year, when they snapped him travelling at 93km/h down the Dingley Bypass in Heatherton.
When he was pulled over, officers discovered Zhang was also suspended on a demerit point bond until November 2023.
In court on Monday, Magistrate Luisa Bazzani said she would have imprisoned Zhang if his partner hadn’t been heavily pregnant.
“This is his fifth driving while suspended charge,” she said.
“You’re thumbing your nose at the road rules, and it’s about time you learned a lesson.”
Ms Bazzani ordered Zhang to complete 60 hours of unpaid community work.
Adriana Pulo
A factory worker caught driving without a qualified supervisor told police she “couldn’t miss” a job interview.
Adriana Pulo, 20, pleaded guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on March 25 to one charge of driving without a supervisor and driving without an L-plate properly displayed.
The court heard police saw Pulo driving on Hawthorn Rd in Clayton on September 15 last year, without front and back L-plates displayed and driving without a supervisor in the passenger seat.
Pulo’s car was impounded at the scene.
She told police in an interview that she was “on her way to a job interview that she couldn’t miss.”
On Monday, she told Magistrate Luisa Bazzani that she knew “there was no good excuse”.
“I’m the only driver in my household and it was the only job interview I’d had a call back from,” she said.
“But I know it was wrong, I shouldn’t have driven.”
Ms Bazzani put Pulo onto a 12-month good behaviour bond, and ordered her to complete a road trauma awareness course.
Gaganjot Singh
A delivery driver who reversed into a car during a delivery has told a court he “didn’t realise he’d hit another car”.
Gaganjot Singh pleaded guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on March 25 to one charge of failing to report an accident to police and one charge of reversing when it was unsafe.
The court heard Singh had reversed into a parked car on July 5 last year at the Malvern Central shopping centre, while making a delivery.
Singh reversed into the front bumper of a Mercedes Benz, before completing his delivery job and leaving without informing anyone or trying to find the owner of the car.
The owner returned to her vehicle a short time later, finding it damaged and obtained CCTV footage from the centre.
She contacted the delivery company Singh worked for, however, they refused to identify Singh as the driver.
The victim went to police to report the incident and they later questioned Singh about the incident.
In court on Monday, Singh admitted he was the driver and said he “didn’t realise he’d hit another car”.
“I felt a bump but I assumed I hit kerb,” he said.
“As soon as I knew I’d hit a car, I made sure to pay the insurance.”
Magistrate Luisa Bazzani said she was “pleased” Singh had taken responsibility for the damage.
He received a 12 month good behaviour bond.
Jimmy La
A Noble Park mechanic caught driving without a licence could face jail time for his repeat offending.
Jimmy La, 37, pleaded guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on March 25 to one charge of driving while unlicensed.
The court heard La was stopped by police in Clayton South on April 25 last year when they discovered he was driving while suspended.
His car was impounded for 30 days and he was further disqualified from driving.
In court on Monday, Magistrate Luisa Bazzani expressed her displeasure over La’s driving history in conjunction with his present offending.
“This is terrible,” she said.
“You’ve got 13 priors for driving without a licence or while disqualified or suspended. You have numerous charges for driving without registration plates, driving an unregistered vehicle, driving with fake plates, what are you trying to do Mr La?”
Ms Bazzani ordered La to begin the process with VicRoads in order for him to be driving with a valid licence.
“You’re continuing to do what you want to do without any regard for the law,” she said.
“It’s much easier to stick your head in the sand than deal with problems that need to be resolved.”
Ms Bazzani gave La until June 28 to commence the process of getting back his licence before she made her decision.
“Come back and provide proof you’ve started the process,” she said.
“Then I’ll consider whether I should send you to jail.”
La will return to Moorabbin Magistrates Court on June 28.
