United Patriots Front leader Blair Cottrell receives fine, but no ban, for driving while suspended
A FAR-RIGHT group’s front man has escaped a ban for driving while suspended.
South East
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A FAR-RIGHT group’s front man has escaped a ban for driving while suspended.
Blair Cottrell, who heads up the United Patriots Front, pleaded guilty to the driving offence at Frankston Magistrates’ Court last week.
The court heard Cottrell, a self-employed carpenter, was pinged by police at 9.40pm on September 16 last year while driving on Peninsula Link in Moorooduc.
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He had lost his licence on July 27 for three months for accruing too many demerit points.
The court heard receiving four points for using a mobile phone while driving was the offence which pushed him over the limit.
Representing himself, he said he had been driving because he wasn’t aware VicRoads had suspended him.
He said he had been living out of home while renovating his parent’s house in Frankston, and had been very busy with work, so somehow had not got the mail.
“It was a matter of misunderstanding,” he said.
He said he required his licence for work as he needed to carry tools to his jobs.
He was convicted, fined $1200, but no licence suspension was imposed.
Cottrell has a long list of priors, including stalking, arson, aggravated burglary, property damage, trafficking testosterone, possessing a controlled weapon and breaching court orders, as well as several speeding infringements.
He is proud of another one of his convictions; on Twitter he spruiks himself as “the first (person) to be charged and convicted under Australia’s new ‘hate-speech’ laws”.