Dodgy drivers: Werribee Magistrates’ Court
It’s been another busy week at courts in Melbourne’s western suburbs with a litany of boozers, law breakers and genuinely dodgy drivers copping their right whack.
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It’s been another busy sitting at courts in Melbourne’s western suburbs with a litany of boozers, law breakers and genuinely dodgy drivers being dealt with. Here’s a list of some of the more outlandish offending.
MARKKU RAJALA
A boozed-up IT worker has been pinged after driving to pick up his daughter from karate while more than three times the legal limit.
Markku Rajala pleaded guilty at Sunshine Magistrates’ Court to high-range drink driving after he was pulled over by police in 2021.
The 53-year-old was intercepted on Robertson Rd, Ravenhall about 11.30am on May 2.
After blowing 0.163 during a roadside test, he told police he was on the way to pick up his daughter from a karate class.
In court, the Point Cook man said he would struggle to work without a licence.
Magistrate Kay Robertson said she “shuddered” to think he would consider driving drunk with his daughter in the car.
He was fined $500 and disqualified from driving for 16 months.
No conviction was recorded.
AMOA VAOVASA
A man busted for driving while disqualified has escaped a hit to the hip pocket because he’s a stay-at-home dad.
Amoa Vaovasa pleaded guilty at Sunshine Magistrates’ Court to driving while disqualified after he was pulled over on October 21 2021.
Vaovasa was intercepted by police at 11.30am on West Melton Dr where he failed to provide police with his details.
Police conducted checks revealing Vaovasa had been disqualified for 16 months from July that year.
The 40-year-old told police he needed to go grocery shopping.
He told the court he took care of his two children while his wife worked.
The magistrate said it would be unfair to fine him knowing his wife would be financially impacted.
He was placed on a 12-month adjourned undertaking.
TAYLAH REIHANA
A mother-of-two who “didn’t have the time or money” to get her license had to fork out more than $1000 to get her unregistered car back.
Taylah Reihana, 30 pleaded guilty in Werribee Magistrates’ Court to unlicensed and unregistered driving after she was intercepted by police last year.
About 7.30am on October 22, Reihana was pulled over by police on Sneydes Rd, Point Cook driving without a valid licence.
Reihana, who works as a dental assistant, told the court she did not have the time or money to get her licence.
The court heard her unregistered vehicle was towed and impounded.
She was placed on an adjourned undertaking for 12 months with the condition that she obtained her licence.
LAJOS KOZAK
A naughty school teacher spotted driving without a seatbelt sooked about how he was treated by police after he was pulled over, a court has heard.
Lajos Kozak pleaded guilty at Sunshine Magistrates’ Court following an incident near Watergardens Shopping Centre last year.
About 12.30pm on March 30, police saw Kozak driving without a seatbelt.
The science teacher told the Magistrate Kay Robertson he brought the matter to court because he was upset with the conduct of police officers who pulled him over and said he was only driving “for a matter of seconds” without the belt.
The 40-year-old said he had been on the roads for more than 20 years and had no priors.
He then requested his charges be dismissed entirely or that he be compensated for his time.
Ms Robertson said there were avenues to make formal complaints about the conduct of police and did not dispute he may have been treated poorly, however, she said it did not factor into his sentence.
He was fined $363 and no conviction was recorded.
EDWARD MAIAVA
A young driver who decided he didn’t need his learners, L-plates, a supervisor, or even a registered vehicle has learnt an expensive lesson.
Edward Maiava pleaded guilty to a number of traffic offences at Sunshine Magistrates’ Court on July 17 after he was pulled over by police last year.
About 3pm on October 26, Maiava was seen driving on the Western Freeway at Thornhill Park when police checks revealed the vehicle was unregistered.
Police pulled over the 20-year-old and discovered his learners permit had expired in March.
He could not provide a valid reason when asked why he was driving without a supervisor or L-plates.
The unregistered vehicle, which belonged to his father, was then impounded.
In court, the young warehouse worker made no excuses for his behaviour and said the process had cost him several hundreds to retrieve the car.
He was not convicted but was fined $300.
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