Anumber of defendants facing driving charges appeared in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court before Magistrate Koula Kossiavelos last week.


A South East man was convicted of driving whilst his licence was disqualified and driving with methamphetamine in his system after being pulled into a driver testing station on Kennedy Avenue at about 1pm on April 26 this year.


The man was sentenced to a 12 month good behaviour bond in the sum of $200, a $900 fine and a six month immediate loss of licence.


A South East woman pleaded guilty to driving whilst her licence was disqualified after being stopped by police on May 15, 2024 and received a $200 six month good behaviour bond.


A 40-year-old Hatherleigh man was convicted of driving with excess blood alcohol, driving a vehicle while disqualified/suspended and failing to comply with an alcotest.


Police attended the man’s home address on December 9, 2023, after receiving information he was driving whilst intoxicated and located the man in the vehicle of his car who refused three alcotests. The man was issued with a 12 month instant loss of licence by police.


The man received a court ordered 12 month licence disqualification backdated to December 9 and a $1100 fine for the offence.


At 12.25am on February 11, 2024 around 12.25am the defendant was stopped by police and returned a BAC of 0.152, more than three times over the legal limit and was driving whilst disqualified.


“Police then attempted to crank the accused vehicle and he armed himself with a metal pole and hostile against police and took the metal pole, smashing the rear and driver’s side windows to the vehicle and smashed the front windscreen. Police were scared for their safety,” SAPOL Police Prosecutor David Stiles said.


The man was sentenced to a concurrent 12 month licence disqualification backdated to February 11, 2024, a 12 month good behaviour bond and an $1100 fine for the additional offences.