Matthew Porter: Druggie blames rugby knockouts for life of crime

A 40-year-old Carrum Downs man has blamed head knocks he copped playing rugby for his descent into drugs and crime.

Matthew Porter has blamed his crimes on concussions from playing rugby league when he was younger.

An ice addict with a shocking driving and drug history has blamed his life of crime on concussions from playing rugby league.

Matthew David Porter was caught driving while high on drugs – even though he was banned from being behind the wheel at the time — and in possession of ecstasy and dealing gear.

The Carrum Downs 40-year-old father of four was also nabbed with Viagra pills hidden in the front of his underwear.

Before this latest crime spree he had 10 driving while unlicensed or disqualified priors to his name, as well as being convicted for leading police on dangerous chases.

Porter pleaded guilty to refusing an oral fluid test, two disqualified driving, drug possessions, and court order and bail breach charges at the online Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

The court heard Porter’s car was pulled over in Carrum Downs in April last year for a routine check.

He proved positive for ice in a roadside test but refused to accompany officers for a full sample to be taken.

That meant another automatic two-ear ban, and his car was impounded for 30 days.

But he wasn’t deterred, getting back behind the wheel in October last year, again in Carrum Downs.

This time he was picked up by cops in an unmarked car after they had seen him driving erratically.

In the vehicle was .5g of MDMA, scales and syringes and in his pants was a small bag containing Viagra pills.

He told police it was his boss’s car and he had been asked to drive it to a worksite, but didn’t want to refuse because he didn’t want to lose his new job.

Porter had been disqualified by a court in July 2019 for two years.

His defence lawyer said his client has significant memory and mental health issues due to a number of concussions from playing rugby league when he was younger.

He said he “spiralled” into depression when he lost his previous job and his home when his relationship broke down and he self-medicated with drugs.

He said he now had an insight into the link between using and the crimes he committed and was determined to stay away from drugs after being released.

Porter told a community corrections worker he had been on ice for 23 years and injected it every day or second day.

Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said it was pointless putting him on another corrections order as he had no regard for court rulings.

He didn’t have any respect for other road users either, he said.

“This is the end of trying to deal with you therapeutically,” Mr Lethbridge said.

“It seems you are not prepared to deal with your drug addiction.

“It is a complete blight on your life, and you are a blight on the community.”

Porter was jailed for five months minus 31 days he has already served.

He was also fined a total of $1750 and banned from driving for three years.