Ibrahim Ibrahim, Padraig Hopkins and Glenn Baker all plead guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court
Unlicensed, unregistered, drugged-up and feigning ignorance: the drivers who flouted the road rules and got caught.
South East
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A man who did a U-turn over double white lines, a man driving an unregistered car while also unlicensed and a man who smoked a joint laced with meth have all fronted Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court in another week of driving shame.
Glenn Baker
A man driving with methamphetamines in his system has claimed his friend rolled him a laced joint at a birthday celebration.
Glenn Baker, 50, pleaded guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on June 22 after being caught driving with methamphetamines in his system.
Baker was intercepted by police at a booze bus where he undertook a breath test and an oral fluid test, the latter returning a positive reading.
In court on Thursday, Baker said the cause of his reading was a laced joint he’d enjoyed the night before at a friend’s birthday party.
“I was at a friend’s place celebrating his 50th, and one of our mutual friends rolled everyone a joint,” he told the court.
“It came as a complete shock to me that there was meth in there, I only found out later because of the oral fluid test failure that they’d been laced.”
Baker told the court losing his license would have a significant effect on his life, with consideration to looking after his two children and supporting his elderly parents.
Magistrate Stephen Lee however, didn’t have a choice in the matter.
“I have to suspend your licence for the six month minimum, as per the legislation,” he said.
“The laws are in place for good reason, about 40 per cent of fatal accidents in Victoria are linked with drug taking.”
Mr Lee said this was a “perfect storm of bad luck” for Baker.
“Taking into account all the things you’ve told me today, I’ll have to suspend your licence for six months, but I will dismiss the charge,” he said.
“There is no financial penalty. Good luck with the next six months navigating your life, I wish you well.”
Ibrahim Ibrahim
In a strange occurrence for a magistrates’ court, a man has chosen not to appear while still pleading guilty to an illegal U-turn and driving an unregistered vehicle.
In a letter written to Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court, Ibrahim Ibrahim said he “wanted to plead guilty.”
Magistrate Stephen Lee read the letter aloud to the court on June 22.
“I wish to plead guilty to the charge, please finalise it in my absence,” the court heard.
“I’ll pay the fine once it’s been issued again.”
The court heard Ibrahim had been travelling along Centre Dandenong Rd in Dingley Village on November 2 last year, when police witnessed him do an illegal U-turn over double white lines.
The officers intercepted Ibrahim, simultaneously discovering the car he was driving was also unregistered.
When asked why he was driving an unregistered vehicle, Ibrahim told police he “didn’t know it was unregistered.”
Mr Lee fined Ibrahim $700 without a conviction.
Padraig Hopkins
A Dromana man caught driving an unregistered car while also unlicensed has received a slap on the wrist for flouting the road rules.
Padraig Hopkins pleaded guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on June 27 after highway patrol officers caught him in the act in February this year.
Police were alerted to an unregistered car travelling on the Nepean Highway in Highett, before intercepting Hopkins shortly after.
Hopkins gave his name and address but was unable to produce a driver’s licence.
After further investigation, officers discovered he was unlicensed as well as driving an unregistered car.
Hopkins told police he “was not aware he was unlicensed,” that he’d “assumed he’d gotten it back”.
In court on Tuesday, Magistrate David Starvaggi took Hopkins’ guilty plea into account when sentencing him.
“I’m sentencing you with a $500 fine without conviction.”
Mr Starvaggi made no further orders regarding Hopkins’ licence.
gemma.scerri@news.com.au
