A Kialla man found himself in court after bogging his friend’s ute.
Sooraj Madhavla, 20, pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to careless driving and driving while disqualified.
Prosecutor Senior Constable Luke Lund said police found the ute bogged on Watt Rd near Riverview Dve in Kialla on September 17 last year.
Tyre marks on the road showed Madhavla had come off the road on a bend.
When police arrived, the vehicle’s engine was still running and it appeared Madhavla had made attempts to get it out of the dirt, Sen Constable Lund said.
Police also discovered Madhavla’s driver’s licence had been cancelled for six months only three months earlier, and the ute he was driving belonged to a friend.
The court was told he tested negative on both a drink driving and drug driving test.
When interviewed by police, Madhavla told them he drove because he “really needed a ride” and “it was hard for me to get around” because “everyone’s busy”.
Madhavla’s solicitor Susan Campbell told the court her client “knew he was doing the wrong thing”.
She said he was having trouble getting around without a licence at the time and “didn’t want to be reliant on others”.
Ms Campbell said Madhavla had had his licence back for several months now with no problems and she asked the magistrate not to interfere with his licence on this matter.
Magistrate Ian Watkins, however, disagreed, suspending Madhavla’s driver’s licence for one month, fining him $1000, and ordering him to pay $90.60 in court costs.
“It was a flagrant breach of an order,” Mr Watkins said.
“You can’t pick and choose when you drive.”