Christopher Trofin, 46, jailed for repeated driving while disqualified offending

A disqualified driver was sent straight to a prison cell from court on Thursday with his offending described by a magistrate and a police officer as the worst they’d seen.

Christopher Trofin has been jailed. Picture: Facebook

A serial disqualified driver was sent straight to a prison cell from court on Thursday with his offending described by a magistrate and a police officer as the worst they’d seen.

Christopher Trofin, 46, was escorted from the gallery to the dock of the Geelong Magistrates Court after being handed a two month jail sentence for repeated driving crimes.

The court heard he had 30 prior driving and driving while disqualified offences, and was on appeal bail when nabbed again last month.

His priors date back to 1996.

Mr Trofin has a lengthy driving history. Picture: Alan Barber

Trofin, who has been living in Bannockburn, pleaded guilty to fresh charges on May 15 after he was stopped at 4.30am on The Boulevard in Norlane.

The court heard he told police his excuse for driving was “I wanted to get breakfast” despite knowing he was out on bail, and after recently spending 45 days in jail for similar offending.

He was also intercepted driving without a licence on Anakie Rd in Corio on February 18.

Prosecutor Acting-Sergeant Andrew Clapham told the court in his 15 years of policing he had never seen offending like this “repeated over and over and over again.”

“It’s ludicrous,” he said.

“He is well aware he can’t drive.

“He doesn’t care.”

His defence barrister told the court his client used his bathroom mirror as a white board and on it, he had written “do not drive”.

Despite this, he continued to do so.

Magistrate Timothy Gattuso asked the defence “why does he keep driving?”.

“He has 30 priors of disqualified driving offences which is as bad as I have seen,” he continued.

“It is not a complex decision he is being asked to make, not to get into a car.

“He has been imprisoned for driving disqualified … he knows he can’t get in a car.”

His defence barrister pointed to a psychological report highlighting some issues with memory, however Mr Gattuso dismissed it as a reasonable explanation.

Trofin had also appeared in the County Court on Monday facing driving offences that were adjourned due to Thursday’s magistrate matters.

The court also heard he had a long history of driving with drugs and other substances, and prior drug related offences.

In handing down a two month jail term, Mr Gattuso said public safety and deterrence had to be considered and called the repeated offending “the worst I have seen.”

“It’s clear to you and obvious by the fact you have written it on the mirror that you see every day that you know you can’t drive,” he said.

“I don’t accept you are forgetting you can’t.”

Trofin was disqualified for driving in Victoria for 12 months.

He was refused appeal bail on Thursday afternoon.

Originally published as Christopher Trofin, 46, jailed for repeated driving while disqualified offending