Ryan Willmott: ‘Unhinged’ Mornington road rager takes anger into court
The fury of a Mornington man who tried to drag a driver from her vehicle and attacked his ex’s work ute knows no bounds — even court wasn’t spared.
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An “unhinged” coke-can throwing road rager who tried to drag a female motorist out of her car and lashed out at his ex’s work ute took his anger into court, whinging and whining when given community work and a licence ban.
Appearing virtually at the online Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, Ryan Willmott wasn’t happy when informed he would be banned from the road and have to do 50 hours of unpaid graft.
He huffed and puffed, looked visibly upset and shouted at his mother, who had turned up in the lawyer’s office to support him, telling her to “just shut up Mum”.
The Mornington unemployed tiler pleaded guilty to unlawful assault, criminal damage, drug and weapons possessions and throwing a missile charges.
The court heard at 10am on February 7 last year Willmott was a passenger in a car being driven by his mum along Fultons Rd in Baxter when he threw a coke can out of the window.
The female driver behind flashed her lights in frustration, and both cars pulled over.
Then a shirtless Willmott got out of the car, picked up the coke can, threw it at the other vehicle and kicked her side mirror.
He then walked to her passenger side, got in the car and tried to drag the terrified woman out before his mum came and pulled him away.
They left the scene, but the other driver had videoed the incident and Willmott was soon caught.
Then on March 25 he and his then-girlfriend went to Mt Martha beach for a chat, but she decided she didn’t want to be with him anymore.
He went ballistic, smashing the side window of her work ute in what he later told police was “a moment of weakness”.
He was also nabbed with cannabis and a knife in his car in June.
His defence lawyer said Willmott was on his way to his aunt’s funeral that day and was “frustrated”, and was “heartbroken” when his long-term girlfriend split with him.
He said his client knew he had drug issues and had voluntarily taken part in a treatment program.
He said Willmott also had problems with gambling and anger management, which he was attending to, and his “future was bright”.
Magistrate Julian Ayres said road rage was simply not acceptable.
“This was a random attack on a stranger,” Mr Ayres said.
“That sort of behaviour is extremely concerning, it is of an unhinged nature.”
He said even though Willmott wasn’t the driver involved in the incident, under Victorian law he could impose a short licence ban as part of a sentence.
When Willmott began muttering and showing his displeasure, Mr Ayres said a “stroke of the pen” could fix that.
“Do you want (a) longer (ban), do you?” he said.
“You want a two-year suspension?”
Willmott then meekly accepted the three-month licence loss, saying “thank you, your honour”.
He was convicted and fined $500, placed on a nine-month community corrections order with 50 hours of unpaid work and given a 12-month bond with a condition he do a men’s behaviour change program.
