Scott Terrens: Mt Eliza checkpoint chump’s COVID-19 ring of steel fail
A 28-year-old Mt Eliza hoon — still on his P-plates — has been caught driving while banned three times.
South East
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An unlicensed checkpoint chump who thought he could hoodwink police by using his mum’s car has come a cropper in court.
Scott Alexander Terrens had been banned from being behind the wheel when he decided to try and get through a COVID-19 ‘ring of steel’ barrier at the height of the pandemic.
The 28-year-old Mt Eliza man, who is still on his P-plates, was hoping police wouldn’t check if he had a licence and wave him through because the car wasn’t registered to him.
But he was wrong, and diligent officers pulled him over and stopped him from going any further.
This was the third time in seven months the road rule rogue had been caught illegally behind the wheel.
Terrens pleaded guilty to an array of driving charges at the online Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
The court heard the speedster had lost his licence for 10 months in January last year.
But he wasn’t bothered about that, and was nabbed in a routine check in Cheltenham in March while not displaying P-plates.
Despite being told not to drive again he jumped back in his mum’s car and in July drove to a Gisborne South COVID checkpoint.
His ring-of-steel busting ruse was uncovered and he was again arrested.
His licence, which was originally suspended in January, had expired and he was now technically disqualified.
It didn’t seem to matter to Terrens and he was soon caught driving again, this time in October in Skye.
His lawyer said her client had issues with depression and anxiety and was not feeling very well about his mental health at the time.
Terrens has one prior for driving unlicensed in 2018.
Magistrate Vicky Prapas said disqualified driving was one of the few traffic charges that could involve a jail term, but she was going to take into account his limited history and plea of guilty, and not send him down.
Although he really should have known better, she said.
“With driving offences the onus is on the driver to know the status of their licence,” Ms Prapas said.
“Every driver is responsible for knowing, it was your responsibility to know.”
Terrens, who is still disqualified from driving, was convicted and fined $1500.
