A MOUNT Gambier man with a long history of ignoring licence disqualification orders has been jailed for seven months and 42 days for driving disqualified on two occasions.
Bret Matthew Murch, 43, appeared via video-link in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court to be sentenced for several traffic offences committed earlier this year.
The first incident occurred in February when the defendant stopped for petrol at a service station on Jubilee Highway East.
Murch filled his car with 43.25 litres of petrol to the value of $70.02.
Murch made no attempts to pay for the petrol and drove off.
Police attended and reviewed security camera footage, but they were unable to locate the defendant and his vehicle.
It was not until May 28 when he was caught driving disqualified in the city they were able to question him over the other offences.
The defendant’s lawyer said her client had no excuse for the offending.
She said Murch had never obtained a licence as he was unable to afford one.
Magistrate Teresa Anderson said the defendant had an extensive history of driving disqualified.
She also labelled the petrol drive-off as a “deliberate act of dishonesty”.
“There is nothing to mitigate the offending,” Magistrate Anderson said.
Magistrate Anderson sentenced the defendant to a total of seven months and 42 days for the offending.
The sentence was backdated to October 17 when Murch was first taken into custody.
Murch was also convicted and fined $200 for driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle on two occasions.
