By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A hoon who dropped burnouts and skids at Fountain Gate shopping centre was arrested as he rested his unregistered vehicle, a court heard.
Jade Lloyd’s car carried two passengers and two stolen number plates during 10 minutes of tractionless manoeuvres in front of a large number of people on 13 August.
At the time, Lloyd’s driving licence was suspended due to a loss of demerit points.
He parked outside the shopping centre’s front entrance with the bonnet up, believing his car was overheating.
Police arrested him at the scene, Dandenong Magistrates’ Court was told on 5 February.
During a police interview at Narre Warren station, Lloyd said his car’s donuts weren’t meant to happen.
His car “may have kicked out once and that’s about it”, he told police.
The vehicle’s number plates came from a friend, he claimed.
“They’re stolen,” he said.
“I’m guessing they are.”
Due to an intellectual disability, Lloyd has State Trustees to handle his finances and mail.
He told police he didn’t know that his licence wasn’t suspended because he didn’t open all of his VicRoads mail, the court heard.
A month earlier he had been picked up for driving while suspended and driving an unregistered car.
Defence lawyer Adrian Dessi successfully sought an absolute discharge for Lloyd’s breach of a community corrections order.
Mr Dessi argued on the grounds of Lloyd’s disability, his regular contact with support services, and his enrolment in the Handbrake Turn car mechanics course.
The CCO stemmed from offences dating up to three years. There had been no similar offending since, the court heard.
Mr Dessi also successfully argued for the dismissal of Lloyd’s public-transport fines.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen asked Lloyd if he realised that – when he had a drivers’ licence – it was important to drive safely.
Lloyd replied that other drivers had a right to travel home safely to their families.
“I have a girlfriend… I don’t think she wants police to come to her door and say I’m killed in a car accident.
“I do act a little bit silly around my friends sometimes.”
Mr Vandersteen replied: “They’ll encourage you because they think it’s funny.
“You have to be careful who you hang around with.”
Lloyd had been recently fined $1000 and disqualified from driving for a year in a separate court matter.
On the most recent charges, Mr Vandersteen convicted and fined him $750.
