Daniel Tinker: Australia Day ice binger nabbed drug driving again
A Cranbourne 29-year-old who celebrated our national day with drugs and then got behind the wheel isn’t feeling so euphoric now.
South East
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A repeat drug, drink and disqualified driver with a “blatant disregard” for road rules has again been nabbed behind the wheel after an Australia Day ice binge.
Daniel John Tinker was caught driving with meth in his system without a licence a couple of days after the long weekend holiday last year.
The 29-year-old Cranbourne steel fabricator has drug and drink-driving priors, as well as a history of driving while banned.
He pleaded guilty to five more drug and unlicensed charges at the online Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
The court heard on February 1 last year Tinker’s car was picked up by a police auto recognition camera in Langwarrin.
He tested negative for alcohol but positive for ice, saying he had taken some on the previous long weekend but didn’t think it would still be in his system.
Just six weeks before he had been pulled over in Hastings as he had failed to apply to renew his licence.
And three months prior to that he was again caught in Hastings, a second time high on ice and fully aware he shouldn’t be behind the wheel.
His defence lawyer said he had stayed out of trouble since being with his new partner, now had a positive mindset on life and was back playing footy.
She said he was embarrassed by and remorseful for the offending, which wasn’t aggravated by any careless elements, and submitted a significant fine was the appropriate penalty.
Magistrate Timothy Gattuso said Tinker had a “blatant disregard for any banning orders” and he had a lot more to be worried about than a fine after two committing two drug and three unlicensed drives.
“He decided to keep driving while unlicensed and with drugs in his system,” Mr Gattuso said.
“He was drug-affected, that certainly is an aggravating factor especially when he had lost his licence for failing an oral fluid test.
“Fines haven’t worked in the past, he needs some monitoring; it is in his and the community’s best interests he doesn’t lapse back into drug use and put members of the community at risk.”
Tinker was placed on a 10-month community corrections order with 80 hours of unpaid work, drug counselling and a road safety program.
He was also disqualified from driving for 15 months and his car was impounded for three months.
