Husband of Kate Ritchie, Stuart Webb, faces court for driving without a licence

Radio host Kate Ritchie wrote a letter of support but it didn’t stop a magistrate ripping into husband Stuart Webb for his “appalling” offences.

Home And Away star Kate Ritchie’s husband Stuart Webb is “lucky he hasn’t been sent to jail” given his “appalling” driving record, a magistrate said.

His actor wife was not in attendance but despite an AVO being in place, the court was told she had written a letter of support for her husband.

Mr Webb, dressed in a black suit and blue checked tie, fronted Waverley Local Court in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs on Thursday after pleading guilty to driving without a licence in March last year.

Mr Webb, a former NRL player with the Sydney Roosters, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while licence cancelled.

At times the 39-year-old appeared to nervously tap his feet as the judge ripped into his “atrocious” record on the road.

RELATED: Kate Ritchie’s husband faces drink driving charges

RELATED: Kate Ritchie’s husband Stuart Webb agrees to AVO

RELATED: Kate Ritchie’s marriage years before AVO application

The former rugby league player was pulled over in his Subaru Levorg on March 26, 2019, in Randwick. He had run a red light, the police said in court documents, and was also found to be driving with a suspended licence due to an earlier low range drink driving offence.

When the officers pulled him over, he smelt of alcohol and his eyes were “glazed and bloodshot”, police stated in court documents.

Mr Webb was taken to Waverley Police Station, near Bondi Junction, where a reading returned a result of 0.083.

Stuart Webb is pictured at Waverley Court House over his DUI driving matter.

Mr Webb is ‘lucky he hasn’t been sent to jail’ given his ‘appalling’ driving record, a magistrate said.

According to the police fact sheet Mr Webb claimed he had two schooners of Tooheys New beer at the Royal Hotel Randwick before getting in his car to drive home.

At a court date last year, he was suspended for six months for the offence of mid-range drink driving – which expired in September – and an interlock device was fitted to his car for 24 months.

Mr Webb had told officers he did not know his licence was suspended which led to his court appearance today.

The charge can lead to a maximum six months in jail, a six-month disqualification and a $5000 fine.

Stuart Webb pictured leaving Waverley Court in Sydney in April, 2019. Picture: Richard Dobson

Kate Ritchie spotted at Sydney Domestic airport last year after an application for an apprehended violence order was made against her husband Stuart Webb of nine years.

Mr Webb’s legal counsel said that at the time he was under the impression he had completed a period of disqualification. He had visited one of the state government’s Service NSW centres to inquire about his licence and thought he was now free to drive.

However, the court was told Service NSW didn’t have any records to say Mr Webb had successfully reapplied for his licence and it was still cancelled.

The extent of Mr Webb’s driving history was brought up by the exasperated magistrate.

“His licence history is that he has PCAs (prescribed concentration of alcohol) in 2004, 2012, 2018, 2019 and he was unlicensed in 2017.

“He’s lucky he hasn’t been sent to jail – it’s an appalling record,” magistrate Greg Grogin said.

Stuart Webb leaves Waverley court last year. Picture: John Grainger

The court was told Ritchie had sent a letter of support for her husband stressing his duties in bringing up their daughter, which the magistrate said he had taken into account.

“There is no excuse for driving while cancelled – ignorance of the law is no excuse,” Mr Grogin said.

Mr Webb was put on a conditional release order for a period of two years and will be allowed to continue to drive given his previous disqualification has expired.

“Mr Webb, your record is absolutely atrocious. You have five drink driving offences on your record, it’s absolutely disgraceful,” Mr Grogin said.

“Your driving needs to improve dramatically and drastically.”

Kate Ritchie and husband Stuart Webb. Picture Instagram

In November, Mr Webb agreed to an apprehended violence order (AVO) that prevented him from assaulting, threatening, stalking or harassing his wife.

Mr Webb also agreed not to approach or be in the company of Ritchie “for at least 12 hours after drinking alcohol or taking illicit drugs”.

A police constable originally applied for the AVO on Ritchie’s behalf on October 21 after an incident at the couple’s eastern Sydney home on October 17.