Frankston, Moorabbin and Dandenong magistrates’ court cases heard in the past week
A driver ‘forgot’ he took ice, a gambler lost his liberty after being nabbed with drug money in a stolen car and a school bus driver thought more of his kids than his wallet — here’s what has happened in Melbourne’s southeast courts over the past week.
South East
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Melbourne’s magistrates’ courts are a hive of activity and the ones in the city’s southeast are no exception.
Here are some of the cases heard in Dandenong, Frankston and Moorabbin’s magistrates’ courts over the past week:
DANDENONG MAGISTRATES’ COURT
A losing hand
A drug-addicted gambler not long out of jail rolled the dice when driving a stolen car with sticky number plates — and lost. Police saw the 35-year-old driving along Chandler Rd in Keysborough on May 23 this year in the dodgy-plated vehicle. They pulled him over and saw the plates had been amended with stickers, and found the car had been stolen a week before. The homeless man, who used to be a NSW casino croupier and had a gambling addiction, was unlicensed at the time. He was found with $1500 in cash in his pocket, believed to be the proceeds of crime. The court heard he had been released in early April for drug-related offending, and had relapsed. He and was also in breach of a court order. He was jailed for five months.
Did I take drugs officer?
A drug driver loved the booze so much he said he didn’t remember taking ice and cannabis. He was caught by cops driving his Commodore on Princes Highway in Beaconsfield on October 6 last year. He tested positive for both ice and cannabis, but said he hadn’t taken either. In court he said he knew his driving record “didn’t look that good” but at that time he was “drinking myself stupid” every night so didn’t know what he was doing. He said he was self-medicating due to a serious back injury and was unemployed at the moment. He was convicted and fined $250, and lost his licence for six months.
FRANKSTON MAGISTRATES’ COURT
To halt or to jolt, that is the question
A veteran bus driver who thought of the comfort of his schoolchildren passengers ahead of road safety has had his red-light fine halved. The Frankston man, who had been driving buses for over four decades, was pinged by a camera running a red light in Kew in November last year. His bus was 1.8 seconds late turning into the Burke Rd intersection, incurring him a fine of more than $400. The former driver, who had been ferrying people around since 1981, told the court going through the lights was safer than jolting the 50 or so kids in the back of the bus by slamming his brakes on. He asked for the fine to be reduced, as he was now retired and on a pension. The magistrate applauded his blemish-free driving record, and halved the fine to $200.
Forgetfulness ends in fines
Moving house can be stressful — and expensive — if you don’t tell VicRoads. A suspended P-plater who didn’t know he was not meant to be on the road has been hit with nearly $900 in court fines and costs. The Frankston football-loving 19-year-old was nabbed speeding along Sages Rd in Baxter at 80km/h in the 60km/h zone on June 25 last year. Police told him he had lost his licence for demerit points for three months on May 22 and was suspended. The teenage apprentice plumber said he had recently moved house but forgotten to tell VicRoads, so hadn’t got any letters from them. His lawyer said he had now updated his records and wouldn’t recklessly speed again. He was fined $750 and must pay $124 in costs. He kept his licence intact, but was warned to slow down in future.
MORE COURT NEWS
DRUNK DRIVER NABBED SEVEN TIMES OVER
COWARD PUNCHER RYAN WELLS JAILED FOR 6 MONTHS
DRUG DEALER CAUGHT WITH HOMEMADE GUN
MOORABBIN MAGISTRATES’ COURT
It was him, not me
The girlfriend of a drug dealer caught up in a police raid has walked away from court with a diversion. The woman was with her partner at their Huntindgdale home in March last year when drug squad officers came a-knocking. They found more than a dozen bags of ice and a mobile phone with incriminating text messages on it. But the only charge police stuck on the woman was for a small quantity of the drug they found in her purse. The man has been hit with the trafficking offences and will face court separately. She was placed on a diversion and must give $150 to charity. No conviction was recorded.
It’s all in the detail
A lead-foot construction worker nabbed by a police patrol in Patterson Lakes driving without a valid licence has been told he needs to read his mail better or face the risk of going to jail. The 55-year-old was caught by cops in Wells Rd on April 29 this year, but he had been suspended from driving three weeks before for eight months. He had lost his licence for accruing 14 demerit points, mainly for speeding offences. He told the court he did get a letter from VicRoads about the suspension but didn’t understand the dates involved so decided to drive anyway. The magistrate said he now knew he was off the road until December, and if police caught driving again while suspended he could face two years in jail. He was convicted and fined $400.