Former Darwin mayoral candidate, racing enthusiast Paul Masten busted unlicensed driving after backing out of fine repayments

A one-time Darwin mayoral candidate, convicted thief, racing horse owner and struck off lawyer has pleaded guilty to driving around town without a licence.

Paul Ernest Masten at a previous court appearance. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

A one-time Darwin mayoral candidate, convicted thief, racing horse owner and struck off lawyer was busted driving around town without a licence.

Paul Ernest Masten rolled himself a cigarette while seated in the Darwin Local Court gallery, before appearing before judge Sally Ozolins on Thursday.

The 55-year-old former lawyer pleaded guilty to a single charge of driving while unlicensed, with Ms Ozolins told he had not had a licence for 17 months.

Ms Ozolins heard Masten was driving down Knuckey St, towards McMinn St, in Darwin on January 12, when he was pulled over by a marked police car.

Mr Masten initially told cops he did not have his driver’s licence on him, and a check of the police records uncovered that his licence actually expired in August 2023.

Only a month earlier police issued Masten an infringement notice for the same issue.

Masten told the court his licence was suspended “due to fine enforcement” action, after he “broke the arrangement” of his repayment schedule.

Paul Masten ran for Darwin Lord Mayor and for the Lyons ward in 2017. PICTURE: Supplied

As the Executive Director of True North Mining Company, Masten said he was self employed and due to the nature of his income stream, he had to stop his repayments.

“Look, I should sort this out, It’s doing my head in,” he said.

In 2023 Masten was fined $5000 by the Thoroughbred Racing NT after abusing stewards at a race meet, marching up to the workers and demanding “who the f--k are you?”.

Masten defended himself by claiming it was a “mutual exchange” of inappropriate language, stating: “I’m a very passionate person and when I advocate a position I can at times appear aggressive to the casual person, it is part of my legal training”.

Mr Masten appealed the partially suspended fine, but it was upheld by the NT Racing Appeals Tribunal in January 2024.

On Wednesday, Ms Ozolins was told Masten had a “number of dated traffic offences from Western Australia”, as well as a one-page list of Northern Territory priors.

She convicted and fined him $500, noting that he should contact the Fines Recovery Unit for another repayment plan.

Originally published as Former Darwin mayoral candidate, racing enthusiast Paul Masten busted unlicensed driving after backing out of fine repayments