By Rebecca Peppiatt and Heather McNeill
A successful businessman has appeared in a Perth court over allegations he was driving without a valid licence last month, leading to the impoundment of his Mercedes-Benz Coupe just months after police seized his $100,000 Maserati and converted it into a patrol car.
Hyung Dae Shin, also known as Tommy Shin, a successful chief executive within the tech industry, has a history of drink-driving that led to a court order last year that meant he could not drive without an alcohol interlock device on his car.
Perth businessman Tommy Shin had his Maserati confiscated and converted to a police patrol car. Now, another one of his luxury vehicles could be set for the same fate.
But in September, he was caught ignoring that order, leading to the removal of his driver’s licence.
His $100,000 Maserati was also impounded as a result of that offence, police later seeking a seizure order.
WA Police are sporting a new patrol car that has heads turning - a $100,000 Maserati Quattroporte.Credit: WA Police
Shin’s car was then converted into a police vehicle and used in a road safety advertising campaign on April 1 as a warning to drivers about the effects of doing the wrong thing on the road.
But the move did not act as a deterrent, Shin was just two days later allegedly caught driving his friend’s Mercedes sedan despite losing his licence. Further investigations revealed he had also allegedly been driving his own Mercedes.
In a press conference two weeks ago, Police Minister Reece Whitby called him a “bloody idiot”.
“This is another example of a bloody idiot on our roads who thinks they are above the law and they’ve paid an extremely high price for their stupidity,” he said.
“If you break the law, say goodbye to your toy.”
He said it “beggared belief” that Shin would allegedly get back behind the wheel after losing his expensive car, and was now facing losing his Mercedes-Benz as well.
“Police are proceeding with charges,” Whitby said, adding that if there was a successful conviction police would apply to the court for a seizure order, meaning a second car of Shin’s will be permanently confiscated and rebranded to be used by officers.
On Thursday, the 42-year-old appeared at Perth Magistrates Court without a lawyer on the charges of driving on a disqualified licence, where a magistrate agreed to adjourn the matter until he had sought legal advice.
Shin made his first million while still at university.
The co-founder and chief executive of Lateral Capital Ventures, a Subiaco-based custom software development company, was once a winner in the Business News 40under40 awards, a finalist of the WAITTA INCITE Awards, and winner of Best Business Technology at the Australian Business Awards. In 2017, he was again a finalist at the INCITE Awards.
He is due back before the courts on May 29.
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