Court: Wade McConnell, Euan Abell, Jack Pattison and more
This list of maniac motorists makes for sorry reading. From repeat drug and boozed-up drivers, to those who refuse to get a licence, they are all a menace on the roads.
South East
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Magistrates courts across Melbourne are kept busy dealing with a never-ending cavalcade of maniacs who get behind the wheel, putting theirs and every other road users’ lives at risk. Here are eight such culprits
Timothy Cheung
A part-time groundskeeper caught driving with meth in his system and slapped with a swag of driving and drug offences has avoided jail.
Chelsea’s Timothy Cheung pleaded guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on June 19 to multiple charges of drug driving, driving unlicensed, driving without wearing a seatbelt and careless driving.
The court heard police intercepted Cheung driving with drugs in his system on three occasions, in Chelsea Heights, in Clayton and in Mentone.
Cheung was also found to be driving on either a suspended or disqualified licence on each occasion, and once without a seatbelt on.
On June 19, Magistrate David Starvaggi said he “would like to consider incarceration, but these were only fineable offences”.
“It’s fineable only, and would come with a corrections order if he contested them,” he said.
Cheung’s lawyer Alexandra Murrell told the court Cheung had suffered from depression, causing the escalated drug use.
“Mr Cheung suffers from depression, which was triggered two years ago when he lost custody of his children” she said.
“He only has contact with his children once a month, but he has a strong employment history and has been engaging with a drug and alcohol rehabilitation service.”
Ms Murrell said Cheung was “remorseful for his offending,” and he “was doing much better”.
Mr Starvaggi fined Cheung $2500 with conviction and a further one year licence disqualification.
Nicholas Pasini
A Brighton fruit and vegetable vendor has fronted court over obstructing a police investigation after he was involved in a drink-driving collision and was “unable” to identify the person driving his car.
Nicholas Pasini pleaded guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on July 7 after a night out turned into a nightmare when his Mercedes collided with another car at a Brighton intersection.
Pasini had met two men at a Black Rock pub on November 25, and, after a few hours of drinking, the trio decided to try their luck at the casino and hopped in Pasini’s Mercedes
Their luck ran out when the car was involved in a collision when the driver failed to stop at a red traffic light.
The court heard Pasini and one passenger remained behind at the scene of the collision, claiming the driver had been “scared” and ran away.
Police gave Pasini a week to find out who the driver was.
After no contact, police went to Pasini’s residence three weeks later, but he was not home.
When officers later contacted Pasini, he refused to talk, claiming that he “wasn’t required to inform the police who the driver was”.
Magistrate Stephen Lee said the offending was considerably hard to sentence, due to Pasini’s claim that he wasn’t driving.
“It appears at minimum, you’ve met up with your mates at the pub, decided to go to the casino, and an accident happened,” he said.
Mr Lee said the situation was worsened by the fact that Pasini had made no contact with police since the night of the accident.
“This is serious offending, because it speaks to public safety issues. It looks like the three of you made a pretty ill-judged decision to get in the car after you were drinking, the driver probably well over the limit. It’s a pretty significant road safety incident.”
Pasini was fined $2000 with conviction and his licence was suspended for two months.
Eric Bott
A Burwood man in court over assaulting two police officers and drink driving asked a magistrate “what the quickest way to get out of court” was.
Eric Bott pleaded guilty to assaulting two emergency workers and drink driving in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on July 12.
The court heard Bott was at property in Burwood in January 2022, where police were called after he was seen in the backyard in his undies, “seemingly substance affected”.
The court heard as police attempted to arrest Bott, he resisted, punching one officer to the side of the face, wrestling them to the ground, before the other officer capsicum sprayed him.
A second pair of police officers arrived and helped the injured officers and Bott.
Paramedics also attended the scene and transported Bott to Box Hill Hospital after he asked to be psychiatrically evaluated.
He was released into police custody after doctors cleared him as mentally fit and injury free.
Later, in January this year, Bott was seen by police driving in Springvale, where an automatic registration check showed the car he was driving to be unregistered.
Officers intercepted him, where Bott underwent a mandatory breath test, returning a reading of 0.059 reading.
When asked why he was driving an unregistered car, Bott said he “didn’t have any other option”.
In relation to the drink driving charge, he said he “had no real reason” for driving under the influence.
Bott was booted off the road for 12 months and ordered him to pay a $1200 fine with conviction.
Wade McConnell
A man caught behind the wheel while suspended and drink driving has given a heartfelt apology to the court, saying “it will never happen again”.
Wade McConnell pleaded guilty to driving while under the influence of alcohol, careless driving and driving while suspended on June 19 in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court.
The court heard McConnell had collided with another car after exiting a car wash in Moorabbin last year.
When police arrived he underwent a mandatory breath test, returning a reading of 0.191.
The court heard that when officers asked McConnell why he had been drink driving, he had been apologetic and remorseful immediately.
“I’m very sorry, I was having issues at home and just wanted to get out of the house,” he said.
McConnell received a 12-month licence suspension.
Officers caught McConnell driving again a week later in Seaford.
Appearing in court on Monday, McConnell apologised for his actions.
“The drink driving was a one off incident, I was having issues at home,” he said.
“I’m very sorry, this will never happen again.”
Magistrate David Starvaggi fined McConnell $800 with a conviction over the drink driving incident, and $400 with a conviction for driving while disqualified.
He cancelled McConnell’s licence for 19 months, backdated to November.
Euan Abell
A Cheltenham plumber caught driving unlicensed told a court he “had to drive his wife to a doctor’s appointment”.
Police were alerted to a van with a suspended owner travelling on Balcon Rd, Mentone on September 6 via camera detection, before intercepting Abell at 3.33pm.
The court heard Abell’s licence had been suspended for a six-month period in March 2022 due to an over accumulation of demerit points.
Abell told the court he had been taking his wife to a medical appointment when he was caught.
Magistrate David Starvaggi said Abell should have called an ambulance.
“You’ve been here previously for driving while suspended Mr Abell, not six weeks after your suspension date,” Mr Starvaggi said.
“I’m sorry to hear about your wife, but you need to get your priorities in order.”
Mr Starvaggi fined Abell $500 with a conviction.
Jack Pattison
A repeat offender found with a treasure trove of stolen goods fronted court from prison after being arrested inside a stolen luxury car.
Jack Pattison, 21, appeared in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on June 19 via video link, pleading guilty to handling stolen goods, possession of a fake ID and possessing illicit substances.
Police arrested Pattison in a shopping centre car park on January 7, where he was found in a stolen Range Rover with a co-accused along with a stolen Tommy Hilfiger bag containing numerous stolen items, $300 of counterfeit cash and a fake Victorian ID.
The bag contained many other luxury items, Pattison’s wallet, with a fake VicRoads driver’s licence displaying Pattison’s photo with another person’s details.
The bag also contained a smaller black Lacoste bag encasing a small foil wrapping with green vegetable matter inside, believed to be cannabis.
Two Nautica cases were also found, with the counterfeit cash inside and an unprescribed amount of Diazepam.
Pattison claimed nothing was stolen and the Lacoste bag was his recently deceased friend’s.
When asked why he had counterfeit money, Pattison said “in case people rinse me”.
Magistrate David Starvaggi sentenced him to seven days jail with a conviction and a fine of $500.
Katrina Wight
A terminally ill, single mother-of-three caught drug-driving claimed her drug use was “just a relapse”.
Katrina Wight, 44, pleaded guilty at the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on July 12 to possession of methamphetamines and drug driving.
Police were patrolling in Dandenong on November 22 when they saw Wight travelling in a car known to be involved with drug trafficking.
Officers intercepted Wight, who told them she was on her way to visit a person known to police.
A search of the car and Wight turned up a zip lock bag with 1g of a crystallised white substance, believed to be methamphetamines.
Wight made full admissions to purchasing the bag.
“I purchased it for $250, and was going to resell it for a profit,” she said.
Wight had a second run in with police when she was involved in a collision with a motorbike on January 5 in Seaford.
Despite the collision not being Wight’s fault, she left the scene of the accident.
Later, she admitted to being in the accident and returned to the scene to assist with inquiries.
Officers required Wight to undertake a breath test and an oral fluid test, the latter coming back with a positive result to meth.
Wight told police that she had used speed five days prior.
Wight told the court the drug use was a relapse, revealing she’d struggled with a heroin addiction earlier in her life.
Wight told the court she was terminally ill with brain cancer and was in her final stages.
“I stopped using drugs a long time ago to focus on my children,” she said.
“I’ve just been suffering with severe anxiety and depression.”
Magistrate Tony Burns said it was a serious offence, however, Wight’s lack of priors worked in her favour.
“I’m going to convict you and place you on a 12-month good behaviour bond,” he said.
Wight’s licence was also cancelled for 12 months as per the mandatory sentencing laws.
Ahmad Ahmadi
A Springvale man already behind bars on other matters fronted court after being caught driving unlicensed and drugged-up.
Ahmad Ahmadi appeared in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court via video link on Monday, June 20 pleading guilty to failing an oral fluid test, driving unlicensed and driving an unregistered vehicle.
Police saw Ahmadi driving an unregistered Mazda on Main St in Mordialloc in January, before they intercepted him.
Ahmadi told police he had previously had his licence suspended, but he had not reapplied to get it back.
After undergoing a mandatory oral fluid test, Ahmadi returned a positive result to an illicit drug.
Magistrate David Starvaggi took Ahmadi’s imprisonment into account when sentencing him.
“I’m going to further disqualify your licence for 12 months on the oral fluid test charge,” he said.
“With consideration to the fact that you’re already in custody, I’m convicting and discharging you on the other matters.”
