Rockhampton Regional Council Division 1 Councillor Shane Latcham has been charged with driving without due care

A councillor who ran on an anti-crime platform has appeared in court and is expected to challenge a police ticket.

Division 1 Councillor Shane Latcham appeared in Rockhampton Magistrates Court after receiving a drive without due care ticket from police.

A councillor who ran on an anti-crime platform has represented himself in court after police issued him a $619 ticket.

Rockhampton Regional Council Division 1 Councillor Shane Latcham is expected to fight the ticket for driving without due care or driving without reasonable consideration for another person in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court rather than pay the fine and lose three demerit points.

After waiting almost one hour for several solicitors to finish countless court matters for dozens of their clients on Wednesday, June 26, Cr Latcham stood solo in front of Magistrate Cameron Press to represent himself but stopped short of making his case.

Councillor Shane Latcham (second from right) with Mayor Tony Williams (middle) and fellow councillors, Grant Mathers, Cherie Rutherford, Donna Kirkland, Neil Fisher, Ellen Smith and Drew Wickerson at the final meeting of the council term in March 2023.

He told Mr Press, who appeared not to know he was a councillor and continued to quickly forge his way through his list of almost 100 people, he had not received the police brief of evidence.

The police prosecutor quickly responded it would be available at Rockhampton Police Station on Thursday morning.

But the father-of-three, whose councillor salary will be $99,000 come July 1, had more to say about the evidence.

“The second matter, if I may your honour,” Cr Latcham said.

“I’ve requested from the prosecution two bits of evidence as well and the wording was, ‘it doesn’t appear to be a matter in which police prosecutions currently have an involvement so haven’t been forthcoming.”

Rockhampton Regional Councillor Shane Latcham appeared in court on June 26.

Mr Press told the councillor he would have to make an application for disclosure to the court and if he was “saying that there’s evidence that’s being withheld”, state that, as well.

Outside the courtroom, he told The Morning Bulletin the court matter was “nothing serious at this point. I’ll just wait to see the brief of evidence.”

Mr Press adjourned the matter to July 24 and enlarged Cr Latcham’s bail.

Originally published as Rockhampton Regional Council Division 1 Councillor Shane Latcham has been charged with driving without due care