These are some of the southeast’s worst drivers to walk through courtroom doors
From hooning to drink driving and everything in between, see the faces of the dodgy drivers putting your life at risk on the roads.
South East
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A sovereign citizen facing a speeding fine who refused to identify himself, a woman out to find hard rubbish and a man caught doing burnouts in an industrial estate — these are some of the worst drivers to pass through the court in Melbourne’s southeast.
Jacob Jolley
Jacob Jolley, 30, pleaded guilty in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on February 29, to driving while unlicensed and drug driving.
Jolley told the court his friend had come to pick him and his dog up to stay at her place.
On their way to her home, the friend had stopped at her partner’s house and got into a physical altercation.
Jolley said she had been arrested, leaving him and his dog with nowhere to go.
The court heard after the car was impounded, Jolley ended up living rough with his dog, until recently.
Jolley claimed to have fully turned his life around, now working as a butcher’s labourer and living with his employer.
He told the court he was 109 days free from methamphetamines.
Jolley was convicted and fined $1500 and was disqualified from driving for 12 months.
Jayden Ball
A Pakenham man caught driving while disqualified told police he had gone for a spin to “clear his head”.
Jayden Ball pleaded guilty in Dandenong Magistrates Court on February 29 to driving while disqualified and knowingly driving an unroadworthy car.
The court heard police had set up a booze bus in Cockatoo on November 6 last year when they saw Ball approach, before doing a U-turn and retreating in the opposite direction.
Officers intercepted him a short time later and discovered he was serving a three month suspension.
He was also driving a car that had been modified to sit too low to the ground, making it unroadworthy.
Ball told police he knew he was disqualified, and had just “wanted to go for a drive to clear his head”.
Magistrate Peter Reardon convicted and fined Ball $1200.
Matthew Lang
A construction worker caught driving with more than double the legal limit of alcohol in his system had doubled dipped, also returning a positive drug test.
Matthew Lang, 26, pleaded guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on March 19 to one charge of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
The court heard Lang was busted by police with almost triple the legal limit of alcohol in his system in Moorabbin on July 21 last year.
Police saw Lang driving at 3.41am on the Nepean Highway, weaving back and forth across the three middle lanes.
Lang’s car mounted the centre median strip before he was stopped by officers to undergo a breath test.
He returned a reading of 0.142, and a positive oral fluid test, showing he had cannabis in his system.
The court heard Lang told police he’d been drinking half an hour before he got behind the wheel.
Lang told the court he had “over-celebrated” before he was caught.
He was fined $1250 with conviction and his licence was cancelled for 14 months.
Chiek Lim
A repeat offender has promised a court he “won’t drive unlicensed” again, despite consistently driving without a licence since the 1990s.
Chiek Lim, 69, pleaded guilty in the Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on March 12 to driving unlicensed and drink-driving charges.
The court heard police saw Lim on May 7 last year, driving in Bentleigh East and recognised him from previous interactions they’d had with him.
After Lim was stopped, he underwent a breath test and blew 0.023.
The legal limit for unlicensed drivers is 0.00.
The court heard Lim told police he “didn’t think he’d be over,” and that he’d just been out “doing shopping, because he’d run out of food.”
Lim told Magistrate Ross Maxted he was “sorry for driving unlicensed”.
“No you’re not, you do it all the time,” Mr Maxted said.
Pointing to Lim’s priors, Mr Maxted said the pensioner had previously been dealt with “leniently” by other courts.
“You’ve got priors from 2019, 2018, twice in 2018 and a numerous amount in the 1990s,” he said.
“You’re lucky I’m not imposing a term of imprisonment.”
Lim was ordered to comply with a 12 month community corrections order, to undertake 115 hours of unpaid community work and to pay a $1000 fine with conviction.
He was also disqualified from obtaining a license or from driving for 18 months.
Sardar Ali
A factory worker caught driving with drugs in his system has told a court he was “on his way to work” when he was busted.
Sardar Ali, 23, pleaded guilty in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on February 29 to drug driving and driving while disqualified.
The court heard police had set up a booze bus on October 19 last year when Ali drove through.
He admitted to police that he was driving while disqualified before undergoing an oral fluid test and returning a positive reading for cannabis.
He was fined $932 on the spot.
In court, Ali told Magistrate Peter Reardon he had been “on his way to work”.
Ali was convicted and fined $1000 and ordered to pay $136.70 in costs, as well as having to do a drug driving course.
His licence was also cancelled for 12 months.
Luc Misenga
A Tarneit social worker caught driving with three times the alcohol limit in his system has begged a court for a non-conviction.
Luc Misenga, 26, pleaded guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on March 19 to one charge of drink driving.
The court heard the social worker was driving on the Nepean Highway in Chelsea on October 2 last year, when he was stopped by police.
Misenga told police he “thought he would be fine”, after he returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.153 – more than three times over the legal limit.
“I didn’t think I’d be that much over,” he told police.
“I was just drinking wine.”
The court heard Misenga’s car was impounded at a cost of $969 and his licence was immediately suspended.
In court, Misenga said he was “extremely remorseful”.
“It was a mistake, pure irresponsibility on my part,” he said.
“I’m grateful I didn’t hurt anyone else.”
Misenga was convicted and charged $800.
His licence was cancelled and disqualified for 15 months.
Zane Huysman
A Lyndhurst man caught doing burnouts in an industrial lot in Cranbourne West told police he wanted to “finish” his tires.
Zane Huysman pleaded guilty in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on February 29 to hooning charges.
The court heard Huysman was busted doing burnouts in a Cranbourne West industrial estate on November 11 last year.
Officers stopped him, where he told them he “was getting the tires changed”.
“We’re in an industrial estate, I thought I’d finish them,” he said.
His car was impounded for 30 days, costing him $1005.
Magistrate Peter Reardon fined Huysman $800 with conviction, ordering him to also complete a safe driving program, and pay $136.70 in costs to the prosecution.
Dharsha Maurice
A Bentleigh East mother-of-two caught driving with meth in her system told the court she was “just collecting hard rubbish”.
Dharsha Maurice, 42, pleaded guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on February 20, after being caught driving while suspended and with meth in her system.
The court heard Maurice’s licence had been suspended on May 18 in 2023 where she was banned from getting behind the wheel for three months.
Police witnessed Maurice driving on August 10 last year in Oakleigh, eight days prior to her suspension period ending.
Maurice returned a positive oral fluid test for methamphetamines.
“We were going to Hungry Jacks and to look for hard rubbish,” she said.
“I had no idea my licence was suspended.”
Magistrate Luisa Bazzani cancelled Maurice’s licence for 12 months over the drug driving charge and fined her $800 with conviction.
Simon Whelan
Simon Whelan pleaded guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on March 19 to failing an oral fluid test after he was caught driving with drugs in his system.
Whelan told police he “thought he was in the clear”.
“I didn’t think I’d be affected after 12 hours,” he said.
Cannabis can be detected by an oral fluid test up to 30 hours or more after indulging in the illicit drug.
Magistrate Robert Stary fined Whelan $600 with conviction and cancelled his licence for 12 months.
George Genitsaris
A sovereign citizen caused chaos in a courtroom after being caught speeding.
George Genitsaris was found guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on February 13, after police nabbed him travelling at 59km/h in a 40km/h zone on December 31 in 2022.
Genitsaris began ranting, while also refusing to sit at the bar table or identify himself.
When asked if he was George Genitsaris, he simply said “I’m appearing to represent the person who is of that name”.
Genitsaris ranted to the court “fines, search warrants and any associated demerit point losses are obligations of the state to forward to the court to make a decision on the matters.”
In his near incoherent tirade, Genitsaris repeated himself multiple times as Magistrate Jan McLean waited patiently.
Genitsaris was fined $500 with conviction.
