Frankston, Moorabbin, Dandenong, Dromana magistrates’ court cases
A pizza maker’s licence is sliced, a festive season drink-driver’s Christmas cheer turns sour and a courier driver is delivered a serious message. It all happened in southeast Melbourne courts. And that’s just the start.
South East
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A driver celebrating Christmas who had too much festive spirit panicked and dropped his beer when he saw a booze bus, while a drug-carrying road racer who sped from police on his bike, only to be found five minutes later with a bag of heroin, gets a short stint in jail.
These are some of the cases heard in southeast courts in the past week.
FRANKSTON MAGISTRATES’ COURT
Festive season drink-driver
There was no Christmas cheer for this double-the-limit drink-driver.
The plumber’s happy and festive celebrations turned sour when he sighted a booze bus site up the road while driving along Lyrebird Drive in Carrum Downs about 5pm on Christmas Eve last year.
Sadly, he spilt his beer, which dampened not only his yuletide enthusiasm but his passenger seat.
He tried to avoid the breath-testing station but keen-eyed cops knew what was happening and pulled him up.
The man blew .108 and officers found an empty beer bottle with liquid stains on the passenger seat. He told them he had panicked when he saw the booze bus and dropped his drink.
The man’s car was impounded and lost his licence on the spot.
He was fined $1000 and banned from the road for 10 months.
Pizza maker licence sliced
A 22-year-old P-plater was nabbed driving with a suspended licence in Seaford last year.
The pizza maker’s car was red-flagged by police as belonging to a suspended driver after they spotted him driving on Claude St in July.
The Seaford man had lost his licence a month before for drug driving. He told the court he did know he shouldn’t have been driving but “took a chance” because he had to get to work. The man said he was searching for a call centre job and hadn’t driven since he was pulled over last year.
The magistrate said she was worried about the choices he was making. She warned him that repeat suspended drivers faced the risk of going to jail. He was fined $500 and banned from the road for another month.
DROMANA MAGISTRATES’ COURT
Magistrate delivers courier serious message
A now-former courier driver has been warned that if he gets caught again behind the wheel without a licence he may well end up in prison.
The delivery motorist was seen driving without a seatbelt on Whitehall Rd in Dromanaon January 10 this year.
Police pulled him over and discovered the Dromana man had been suspended for six months in November for accruing too many demerit points.
This was his third driving while suspended crime, with priors in 2016 and 2006. He has now given up delivery work and is an apprentice carpenter.
He said he had no excuse for not wearing his seatbelt and was sorry for his crimes.
The magistrate said he was perilously close to going to jail. He was fined a total of $1375 and suspended from driving for another three months.
Golfer clubbed with fine and driving ban
A driver who took too many swigs of wine at a golfing lunch has been left feeling below par after he was hit with a fine and ban for drink-driving.
The 71-year-old Safety Beach golfer was pulled over on the Nepean Highway about 3pm on January 27 this year.
He registered .052, telling officers he thought he’d be fine after having three wines.
This was his fifth drink-driving offence.
The man’s defence lawyer said his client’s latest reading was — like many of his previous levels — low. The lawyer said the man’s last drink-driving charge was seven years ago.
The man said he had lunch with his wife at the club two or three times each week and drank three glasses of wine on each occasion.
The magistrate said it was high time he got the message that he couldn’t drive after drinking and he shouldn’t be gambling with his liberty.
The magistrate said if the man came before him again in court for another drink-driving he would be going to jail. He was fined $750 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.
DANDENONG MAGISTRATES’ COURT
Police find heroin on motorbike rider
A motorbike rider who sped off from police and later found with a small bag of heroin has been jailed.
The 34-year-old rider was asked to pull over by police in Buckley St, Noble Park,at 5pm on June 4 this year.
He refused and rode off.
Police were unable to follow him but the Noble Park rider was seen walking along a nearby road five minutes later. Police stopped the man and searched him, finding .52g of heroin in his pocket in a small bag and syringes and a small box-cutter knife in his backpack.
He was a suspended rider, on bail and had breached court orders.
He was arrested and remanded. The man’s lawyer said he was attempting to deal with his drug issues.
The man was jailed for two days, which he had already served, and therefore was released.
Fish and chip shop teen cops grilling
An Endeavour Hills 19-year-old has been given a dressing down by a magistrate over her tantrum at having to wait for a court case because she was keen to get to her fish and chip shop job.
The teen was belligerent while she waited for her case to be called.
When it was — less than an hour after the start of the morning session — she kept on talking over the magistrate.
The court heard the woman was subjected to an intervention order due to harassing and abusing another woman at the Dandenong North railway station on March 22 this year.
The woman was not meant to contact — or be within five metres of — the victim.
In court, the woman blamed the whole episode on the victim.
She initially denied the offence but pleaded guilty because she was keen to leave the court.
The magistrate said her attitude was very unimpressive and ordered her to write a letter of apology.
She was placed on a good behaviour bond for six months and must pay $250 to the court fund.
Pain for drink-driving crane business owner
A big booze session has led to a financial and driving suspension hangover for a businessman.
The Berwick crane-rigging company owner was stopped at a Phillip Island booze bus site during the morning of February 23.
He blew .056 and had his licence suspended on the spot because he has a prior drink-driving offence.
The 42-year-old told officers he had been drinking “excessively” the night before and didn’t realise he would still be over the limit the morning after.
He said the stress of his business led to him going back to his old bad drinking habits.
The magistrate said any repeat performance could well end up in him spending time in custody. He was fined $700 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.
MOORABBIN MAGISTRATES’ COURT
No reversal of fortunes for labourer
Reversing back through a Brighton East intersection while being watched by police isn’t the wisest move — especially if you don’t have a licence.
But a driver pulled the stunt in Landcox St in the early hours of March 25 last year.
In court, the Mordialloc labourer — who had his licence suspended in December the previous year for too many demerit points — said he had suffered anxiety and depression and recently moved house so didn’t get VicRoads confirmation of his driving ban.
The magistrate said it was completely his responsibility to know if he was allowed to drive or not.
The man was suspended from driving for 28 days and ordered to pay a $500 fine.
Beggar’s charges dismissed
An aggressive Hampton East beggar brought before the courts for panhandling twice in Malvern has her charges dismissed.
The 33-year-old woman, who was homeless at the time, was told by police to stop begging and move on from outside a chemist shop in Malvern on September 26 last year.
She was abusive to police and offensive in public, shouting and swearing at officers.
Less than two weeks later the same thing happened. This time, she stormed off and left her possessions behind.
The court heard she had been sleeping rough for four years but now had stable accommodation in Hampton East.
She had struggled with drug use in the past but was now getting support.
The magistrate said the woman had no ability to pay any fine and dismissed her charges.