A PORT MacDonnell man has avoided jail after confusion about his licence led to him driving disqualified just a month after being ordered by the court to stay off the road.
Raymond John Watson, 27, appeared in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court to be sentenced for driving disqualified, which also breached a suspended sentence bond.
The prosecution said Watson was stopped by police in Allendale East at around 4.15pm on August 26 after they recognised the defendant driving the vehicle.
Checks confirmed police assumptions that Watson was disqualified.
Watson became aggressive towards police and was not interviewed about the offending.
The defendant’s lawyer said his client had become confused about his disqualification order after receiving a licence renewal letter from VicRoads.
Watson contacted VicRoads on August 26 about the renewal and asked how he was able to have a licence when it was disqualified.
The defendant said VicRoads told him he was not disqualified and that his Victorian licence was valid Australia-wide.
Watson therefore paid the renewal and began driving again on the same day.
Magistrate Teresa Anderson said Watson should not have been confused about the disqualification.
“They said you were allowed to drive anywhere, but you should have told them a court had disqualified you,” Magistrate Anderson said.
“You breached the suspended sentence six weeks after I imposed the disqualification.”
Despite Magistrate Anderson’s disappointment with how the situation was handled, she showed the defendant some leniency.
She told the court she was willing to accept Watson was genuinely confused and excused the breach of the bond.
However, Watson was convicted and sentenced to a further one month and 24 days for the fresh offending, which was suspended on him entering a $500, 18 month good behaviour bond.
He was also disqualified for a further 28 days, which would start on July 13, 2019, when his current disqualification period ends.
