Shaquille Tonga pleads guilty to driving disqualified after having licence suspended

A man has made the surprising decision of driving back to the Sunshine Coast from his court hearing where his licence was disqualified in Brisbane.

Shaquille Steven Jordan Tonga faced Maroochydore Magistrates Court this week. Picture: Sam Turner

A Maroochydore contractor has admitted to driving disqualified back to the Sunshine Coast after being banned from driving on the same day in Brisbane.

Shaquille Steven Jordan Tonga made the decision to not only drive to the Brisbane Magistrates Court on February 24 where he had his licence disqualified for two years but to drive back home.

Maroochydore Magistrates Court heard this week after receiving his suspension, the 30-year-old hopped back into his car and was intercepted by police in Maroochydore later that afternoon.

Police prosecutor Rebecca Lambert said when officers spoke to the man he made full admissions to being disqualified from driving.

Sergeant Lambert said Tonga told police he was on his way home from court in Brisbane and confirmed he had just been disqualified that day.

Computer checks confirmed the 30-year-old’s licence was originally disqualified from May 9, 2024 to May 8, 2026, however he was suspended from driving again at Brisbane earlier that day from February 24 to February 23, 2027.

Tonga after his sentence. Picture: Sam Turner

Tonga was charged and pleaded guilty to driving disqualified by a court order in court on Tuesday.

Defence solicitor Ben Rynderman said the 30-year-old conceded he should not have been driving.

“It is in short, an exercise in idiocy,” he said.

Mr Rynderman was instructed Tonga had no way of getting to Brisbane for his court sentence and “panicked” and decided to drive there, which was made during a “stressful situation”.

He said the contractor then needed to return the vehicle so he made the call to drive back which was when he was pulled over by police.

Acting magistrate Janelle Boegheim said it was in range for a jail sentence however it would not be of actual time behind bars.

Tonga was jailed for one month which was suspended immediately for two years.

Originally published as Shaquille Tonga pleads guilty to driving disqualified after having licence suspended