Mark Szpakolski, 47 pleads guilty in Sunshine Magistrates’ Court to raft of driving offences at Ballarat Rd, Ardeer
A western suburbs tradie has been warned he faces a stint behind bars if he continues to flout the road rules after he was once again busted driving while suspended.
West
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A western suburbs chippy caught driving suspended while on his phone yet again has been warned he faces a stint behind bars if continues to flout the road rules.
Mark Szpakolski pleaded guilty in the Sunshine Magistrates’ Court last week to driving while suspended, without a seatbelt, while on his phone after he was pulled over at Ardeer last year.
The court heard the 47-year-old father was intercepted by police on Ballarat Rd about 6pm April 6 in a Toyota HiLux ute.
The self-employed carpenter confessed to police to using the phone and not wearing a seatbelt but claimed he was unaware of the licence suspension.
Police checks revealed the Albion man was suspended for three months just two weeks earlier.
The court also heard he was convicted and fined $2500 in 2022 for driving suspended while on his phone.
Szpakolski, who was self-represented, told Magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg that he owned a business and worked full time to provide for his children.
He revealed that both his parents were terminally ill and he needed access to a car to support them as one of his siblings was overseas and another lived on the other side of town.
Mr Rozencwajg said Szpakolski knew of his responsibilities to his parents and should not have been behind the wheel let alone on his phone without a seatbelt.
“You put your licence, not least your liberty at risk given your priors,” Mr Rozencwajg said.
After sentencing, Mr Rozencwajg said it was Szpakolski’s fourth conviction for driving while suspended and if he was back before the court for similar offending he could face incarceration.
Szpakolski was convicted and fined $2000 and his licence was suspended for four months.
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