Driver who refused drug test fined

Guilty plea: A man has faced court after refusing to take a police drug test. Photo by Holly Daniel

A Shepparton driver who refused to take a police drug test has lost his licence for four years.

Bradley Davis, 41, pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to refusing to do an oral fluid drug test.

Prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Fiona Kennedy told the court police stopped Davis at a COVID-19 checkpoint on the Northern Hwy at Heathcote on July 30, 2020.

Davis refused to do a preliminary oral fluid test, telling police at the time “I’m not doing one”, Leading Sen Constable Kennedy said.

The court also heard Davis told police at the time, “Have a look at my record, I’m not doing it”.

Leading Sen Constable Kennedy said Davis had three relevant priors on his record in the past 10 years.

Davis’s solicitor told the court their client had antisocial personality disorder and around the time of the incident he had suffered episodes of psychosis that required hospitalisation.

Magistrate Ian Watkins said while he recognised Davis had mental health issues, he did not know whether they contributed to this incident.

Davis was fined $800 and ordered to pay $85.70 in court costs.