Motorist fined for using mobile phone while driving in Hoppers Crossing

A woman caught using her mobile while driving in Hoppers Crossing gave police not one, but three different excuses why she should be let off, a court has heard.

A woman caught using her phone while driving in Hoppers Crossing has pleaded with a magistrate to keep her licence. Picture: istock.

A woman caught using her mobile phone while driving in Hoppers Crossing gave police not one, but three three different excuses why, a court has heard.

Natasha Drayton faced the Werribee Magistrates’ Court this week to plead guilty over the incident in Hoppers Crossing last August.

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The court heard police spotted the 27-year-old — who has an “unflattering prior history” for driving offences — holding the phone to her ear as she drove along Morris Rd.

When she was pulled over, Ms Drayton told cops she had been resting the car’s alcohol interlock device on her shoulder.

But she later backtracked, admitting the “device” was a phone and she had been on an “urgent” work call.

Then she told police she had been doped up at the dentist and “wasn’t thinking straight”.

Ms Drayton, who works as a traffic controller, later rang the Werribee Police Station and begged to be let off easy, the court heard.

“She pleaded with (an officer) not to issue a penalty notice because and said she was sorry and she had been to the dentist earlier that morning and had been given a double dose of medication and wasn’t thinking straight,” the prosecutor said.

Ms Drayton told the court the loss of four demerit points meant she would likely lose her licence again.

“I went a long time without my licence because of my prior convictions … I recently got it back and have finally got my life on track,” she said.

“For the first time in my life I’ve been employed for 12 months and I’ve got my own house and … if I lose my licence I could lose my job and my rental and then I’m back to square one and I’ve worked so, so hard and now, at the age of 27, I’m finally stable.”

Magistrate Mike Wardell said he was sympathetic, but was “powerless” to stop VicRoads docking points from Ms Drayton.

“I understand you wanted this matter to come to court in the hope that I could impose some kind of penalty without you suffering from (the loss of) the demerit points but that’s not the case,” he said.

“Upon me entering a finding of guilt … it will trigger the activation of the demerit points.

“I’m sympathetic to your situation, it seems that you’ve done incredibly well to get to where you are now and if this is going to set you back, that’s really disappointing but I can’t do anything about it.”

Ms Drayton was fined $300 without conviction.

“I’ve made no order on your licence but the reality is that VicRoads may then activate the demerit points, so you’ll have to wait and see what happens there,” Mr Wardell said.