A man purporting to be a sovereign citizen was in court for his case, but he wasn’t really there.
The man, who police allege was driving at more than 200km/h on a Goulburn Valley road, stood in the Shepparton Magistrates’ Court on Monday, October 2, but refused to record an appearance with the court.
As a “sovereign citizen”, Shane Mark Wheatland, 35, of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia, claimed the court had no jurisdiction over him.
Seeking to determine what he was dealing with, magistrate Peter Mithen asked Wheatland to step up to the bar table in the courtroom.
He was greeted by Wheatland speaking in Latin to him: “Nil consentium contractus completus.”
Mr Mithen told Wheatland he knew that was something that people claiming to be sovereign citizens said, before asking him if he knew what it actually meant.
The accused again replied with the same four Latin words, and again, he was asked by the magistrate if he knew what the words meant.
Instead of answering, Wheatland repeated the words.
Mr Mithen suggested Wheatland speak to a lawyer but was again greeted with the same words.
Prosecutor Acting Sergeant Caitlin McLeod then suggested a way the matter could proceed.
“In the absence of anyone here of that name, I ask that the matter be heard ex-parte (in their absence),” she said.
Wheatland was left standing in the body of the court and could only watch on as the legal system did its job around him.
Sgt McLeod told the court police spotted Wheatland driving a black Ford Mustang very fast on Arcadia-Two Chain Rd in the Miepoll area on December 5 last year.
The court heard police estimated his speed to be between 190 and 200km/h.
Sgt McLeod said a radar clocked a speed of 206km/h but did not lock in the initial speed.
She told the court as Wheatland approached the police car, he braked, and his speed was locked on to the radar at 162km/h when he was 300m from the police car.
The court was also told that while the road was paved, the condition was poor due to the floods less than two months earlier.
The vehicle was impounded for 30 days.
Sgt McLeod spoke of how dangerous the speed was, quoting experts that said at 204km/h, a person was “over 1000 times more likely to be involved in a collision”.
Wheatland was fined $750 on a charge of driving at a dangerous speed, his driver’s licence was cancelled and he was disqualified from driving for 12 months.
He must also complete a safe driving program before he can regain his licence.