The Court:
Geelong Magistrates Court
The Charges
The Allegations
The client was a 22-year-old final-year university student who had been charged with Driving While Suspended. He had lost his driver’s licence due to an accumulation of demerit points. VicRoads issued a notice of suspension by mail. Unfortunately, the client had failed to check their mail and was subsequently unaware of the suspension, continuing to drive for work and university placement obligations.
The client was pulled over during a routine traffic stop. Police conducted a licence check and informed him that his licence had been suspended approximately six weeks prior.
At Court
The client instructed our solicitor to enter a plea of guilty to the charge and to finalise the matter on the day. Our solicitor made submissions to the Magistrate regarding the client’s personal circumstances, including his inability to work without his driver’s licence, which was his only source of income and that he was unable to complete his required university placement without a valid driver’s licence.
The client had no prior offences and was fully cooperative with police at the roadside intercept and expressed genuine remorse.
The Outcome
The Magistrate accepted the submissions made by our solicitor, agreeing that the ramifications for the client not having a licence had been severe. The client had lost their job and was unable to participate in a university placement, causing them to defer their studies until they had an active driver’s licence.
The charges were therefore found to be Proven and Dismissed in the Geelong Magistrates Court.
