Maxwell Robert Mahoney pleaded guilty to drug driving, disqualified driving
Heartbroken after leaving his allegedly cheating partner, a Maryborough painter on a driving ban made two bad choices which would land him in court.
Police & Courts
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An unfortunate series of events involving a stolen car and claims about a cheating partner left a man unemployed and homeless before he made the choice to drive while disqualified, a court has heard.
Maxwell Robert Mahoney, 27, pleaded guilty in Maryborough Magistrates Court to one count of drug driving and one count of driving while disqualified.
The court heard Mahoney had tested positive for both cannabis and meth when he was stopped by police on July 31.
Defence lawyer Michael Riedel said Mahoney was a painter by trade, but due to his vehicle being stolen and his driving disqualifications he was no longer able to work.
Mahoney had been in a nine-year relationship immediately prior to the offending, Mr Riedel said.
He had also been caring for his nephew.
Mr Riedel said his client was told by his then-partner that she had been unfaithful to him on a number of occasions.
“He was very upset about that, and it led to the relationship ending and him having to leave the house he was residing in,” Mr Riedel said.
Mahoney effectively became homeless and was no longer able to care for his teenage nephew, Mr Riedel said.
He had been living in the vehicle at the time he was caught by police, Mr Riedel said.
Mahoney had resorted to drug use because of the issues that were going on, he said.
Magistrate John Milburn said the situation had led to Mahoney being emotionally overwhelmed and he had chosen to drive.
He said while drugs had been detected in Mahoney’s system there was no suggestion he had been under the influence of those drugs at the time of driving.
“The more serious matter is that you drove when a court had disqualified you from driving,” he said.
Mahoney was fined $1000 and he was disqualified from driving for three months for the drug driving offence and two years for the disqualified driving offence.
Convictions were recorded.
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Originally published as Maxwell Robert Mahoney pleaded guilty to drug driving, disqualified driving
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