Brendon Clay Giffin slammed by magistrate after being nabbed driving uninsured, unregistered vehicle with no licence

A Warwick man’s driving offences left a magistrate stunned, who declared ‘I have no faith you’ll comply’ with the sentence imposed by the court. Read why here.

A Warwick man has been slammed by a magistrate during his appearance in court for repeated traffic offences and a seeming disregard for road rules.

Brendon Clay Giffin faced Warwick Magistrates Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to driving an uninsured vehicle, driving with a disqualified licence, using a cancelled number plate and driving an unregistered vehicle.

The court was told the 26-year-old was nabbed on January 8 on Percy St in Warwick, while in the passenger seat of an unregistered and uninsured vehicle, with cancelled plates. His driver’s licence had also been disqualified by court order.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Steve de Lissa told the court that just before 11pm police observed the vehicle in question parked in a carpark, and officers spoke to Giffin before running a licence check which revealed his licence was disqualified.

“The check also revealed the registration had expired a couple months before that and the plates had been cancelled as a result. The driver said they had not been driving the vehicle but were waiting to be picked up,” Sergeant de Lissa said.

The 26-year-old was slammed in Warwick Magistrates Court on Monday for traffic offences, with the magistrate saying "I have no faith you'll comply"

Minutes later, police were patrolling around town and stopped the vehicle on Percy St, with Giffin in the driver’s seat, and was asked why he drove after being warned not to do so.

“He was advised to not drive the vehicle, but said the vehicle belonged to a friend and he was thinking about buying it,” the prosecutor told the court.

Representing himself, Giffin told the court he had been doing his best to stay out of trouble, and only drove the car to get insulin for his partner as the group’s lift never showed up.

Magistrate Virginia Sturgess was quick to point out holes in Giffin’s version of events and said his story “sounds like excuses.”

“Why are you thinking about buying a vehicle? Why did you buy the car when you don’t have a driver’s licence? You’re disqualified from driving until May of next year,” Ms Sturgess said.

“Why is it your responsibility to take someone’s car off their hands when you don’t even have a driver’s licence? This sounds like it’s just a lot of excuses. The police saw you in the driver’s seat earlier and they warned you that you were disqualified and the car was unregistered and uninsured.”

Giffin told the court he needed to get insulin for his partner as she “could barely walk at the time” but could not provide a reason he did not just call an ambulance.

“I think you’re making this up as you go along, Mr Giffin,” Ms Sturgess said.

Ms Sturgess told the man he had a “really poor history” which showed Giffin had “a great deal of difficulty complying with any road rules”.

Giffin had been ticketed for driving on a learner licence without supervision on seven occasions, and drove without a licence and drug driving three times respectively – ultimately racking up 12 traffic offences since 2017.

“I’m sure you can understand why I’m sceptical of you, there’s absolutely no reason for somebody in your situation to be buying a car – it seems to me you just have no intention to want to comply with any road rules,” Ms Sturgess said.

“This is your last opportunity. I don’t have any great faith you’ll comply, as you clearly haven’t shown any desire to comply with the road rules since 2017, but you’re going to keep getting caught no doubt about that.

“Don’t even think about buying a car or looking after anybody’s car. It’s an absolutely stupid thing to do, because you’ll be tempted to drive.”

Giffin was sentenced to three months imprisonment, suspended for two years and disqualified from driving for two years.

Giffin was also fined a total $1150.

Originally published as Brendon Clay Giffin slammed by magistrate after being nabbed driving uninsured, unregistered vehicle with no licence