Yosef Izenberg, Grant Dai and Amargargal Odgerel front Moorabbin Magistrates Court

One glass of prosecco too many, a flash decision at a red light and not paying attention in a new area – read about all the drivers caught doing the wrong thing on the roads.

Three drivers have demonstrated how easy it is to get caught doing the wrong thing as they front Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court. Picture by Wayne Taylor 31st August 2017.

A man driving through a new area, a woman who had one too many drinks on a night out and a man who rolled into an intersection after a red light all fronted Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court this week.

Amargargal Odgerel

A mother of three has fronted court over drink driving and driving without her head lights on, following a girls’ night out.

Amargargal Odgerel pleaded guilty in Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on May 18, after blowing .128 in a breath test in November last year.

The court heard police had seen Odgerel travelling along the Nepean Highway in Highett on November 9 at 12.10am, without headlights on.

Officers intercepted Odgerel a short time later, where they asked her for her licence.

After confirming her identity, the court heard she underwent a preliminary breath test, which returned a positive result.

The court heard she later accompanied police to undertake a blood test to confirm her reading.

The court heard she gave a reading of .128 after she told police she had been drinking that evening.

Odgerel told the court the same information on Thursday.

“I had been drinking prosecco,” she said.

“I didn’t think I was over the limit.”

The court heard she also had not realised her headlights weren’t on.

“The street lights were so strong, I didn’t realise my lights weren’t on,” she said.

Odgerel told the court this was the first time she’d been in trouble with the police.

“This is extremely embarrassing for me,” she said.

“I’ve never been in any kind of trouble before.”

Magistrate Jade Bott said drivers needed to be careful when they’re on the roads.

“So many things can go wrong when you have alcohol in your system,” she said.

The court heard Ms Bott took Odgerel’s previously clean record into consideration.

“I have no discretion with the loss of licence for your drink driving,” she said.

“But I do note this is the first you’ve come before the court, you’re someone with no prior criminal history.”

Ms Bott sentenced Odgerel without conviction to a $500 fine, and an adjourned undertaking for 12 months.

“You’ll also need to undertake a behaviour change program to recover your licence,” she said.

Yosef Izenberg

A father of four fronted Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court after being caught driving 26 km/h over the speed limit.

Yosef Izenberg, 58, pleaded guilty to one charge of exceeding the speed limit on May 18, after a speed camera captured him driving 66 km/h in a 40 km/h zone.

Izenberg was driving on North Rd in Oakleigh East on November 17 last year, when the traffic camera snapped his speed.

The court heard Izenberg admit to speeding, saying he wasn’t familiar with the area.

“It was an innocent mistake,” he said.

“We’d just bought a property in the area and we’d had our last inspection. My wife was in the car with me.”

Izenberg told the court he normally has a pristine driving record.

“I never speed to start with, I’m very much aware of road safety, especially in school zones as I have school aged children,” he said.

“I’m not familiar with the road and I just must not have been paying attention to speed signs.”

“I was doing 68km/h in what I thought was a 70 km/h zone.”

Magistrate Jade Bott said she would take all the circumstances into her sentencing, despite having no discretion over the loss of license.

“It is a mandatory loss of licence for this charge,” she said.

“But this is the first time you’ve come before a court on any matter, you are of exemplary character.”

Ms Bott sentenced Izenberg to a six month adjourned undertaking, with a $200 donation to be made to the court fund.

“I’ve exercised my discretion by not recording a conviction for you today,” she said.

“But you will lose your license for the mandatory three months.”

Grant Dai

A man who rolled into an intersection against a red light more than a minute after the light changed has fronted Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court.

Grant Dai, 59, pleaded guilty to entering an intersection on a red light, after a traffic camera caught in South Melbourne last year.

Dai was snapped on City Rd on May 4, where he’d rolled into an intersection after a light turned red, before reversing back behind the white line.

The court heard Dai was in the intersection 72.1 seconds after the light had turned red.

In court on Thursday, Dai said he’d tried to remedy his mistake when the light changed.

“I realised I’d gone into the intersection too late” he said.

“So I reversed back behind the line, I didn’t go through the entire intersection.”

The court heard VicRoads only had captured a photo from the time when Dai rolled into the intersection.

“I’m usually a very safe driver, the last and only driving offence I’ve had was 13 years ago,” he said.

“I also haven’t lost any demerit points since this incident.”

Ms Bott took Dai’s clean driving record into consideration with her sentence.

“I’m only going to fine you today,” she said.

“I’m not going to give you a conviction due to your very good history after 25 years of driving.”

Dai was fined $200 over the red light incident.

[e-mail]