By JESSE GRAHAM
A MAGISTRATE issued a firm warning to those flouting road laws last week, with a man fined for riding through Toolangi with a suspended licence.
The warning and fine were issued to 21-year-old Matthew Hummer, who was caught by police on 23 February driving a trail bike on Healesville-Kinglake Road in Toolangi with a suspended licence.
Mr Hummer fronted the Ringwood Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 1 July to face the charge, for which he had pleaded guilty.
A police officer read a statutory declaration from the day of the offence, where Mr Hummer had denied to police that he had any knowledge of having his licence suspended.
The police officer said Mr Hummer’s licence had been suspended on 8 January, and that VicRoads had received a letter from his mother on 13 January that said his licence could not be returned, as it had been lost.
Mr Hummer’s lawyer said on the day of the offence, he and his friends were riding on a private property, but had to cut onto the main road briefly, where they were intercepted by police.
Magistrate Susan Armour said, regardless of the circumstances, he was caught driving on a road while carrying a suspended licence.
Ms Armour said it was Mr Hummer’s responsibility to stay off the roads until his licence was reinstated, and warned that driving with a suspended licence could carry potentially hefty fines.
She said that penalties for the offence began at fines of around $3000 or a potential jail term, but that the fine jumped to around $30,000 or a jail term for second offenders.
“Driving while suspended is a very serious crime,” Ms Armour said.
“You could look at jail very quickly.”
Mr Hummer was fined $500 for the charge, and no further action was taken on his licence.
