Austin Thomas Ferro: ‘Substance’ sniffing driver pleads guilty

The young man caught on camera appearing to snort a substance off his phone while driving has made admissions about what he was doing in court.

21-year-old Austin Ferro has appeared in court. Picture: NSW Police

A driver caught on camera snorting a “substance” off his mobile phone on a Sydney freeway has pleaded guilty in court.

The photo, taken just before midnight by an infrared mobile phone detection camera on the M4 motorway, captured Austin Thomas Ferro, 21, with one hand to his nose and the other balancing his mobile as a female passenger leaned across to take the wheel.

Ferro, of Blacktown, pleaded guilty to driving offences before Blacktown Local Court on Wednesday after the image went viral following its release by NSW Police last month.

He wore a suit, sunglasses and a face mask to avoid detection as he entered and left the court in a hurry after his brief appearance.

The mobile phone usage camera above the M4 at Prospect.

Ferro was snapped in the driver’s seat of the Hyundai i30 as it headed along the M4 at Prospect about 11.55pm on Friday, August 14 this year.

The incident was referred to Traffic and Highway Patrol’s Strike Force Puma who tracked Mr Ferro down a month later on September 15.

Officers charged him with driving without proper control of vehicle and negligent driving and driving while using a mobile phone, and handed him a court attendance notice for October 14.

Court documents state Ferro was “driving with both hands off the steering wheel, whilst holding a mobile phone in his hands and apparently snorting a substance from the screen of the mobile phone”.

By the time Ferro arrived back at his Duckmallois Ave home, a five minute drive from the court, he had already changed from his suit into a white t-shirt and tracksuit pants.

After jumping out of a Hyundai bearing the same numbers plates as the one he was driving on August 14, he headed in through the back gate and the blinds on every window in the house were quickly drawn.

He will be sentenced next week.