Police & Court

Magistrate: ‘Your priors are not a happy looking set of priors’

May 11, 2022

Two strikes: A man who was caught driving while disqualified twice has faced court. Photo by Rodney Braithwaite

A man who was caught driving disqualified twice has been fined $800.

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Nathan Kettels, 21, of Nagambie, pleaded guilty to two counts of driving while disqualified.

Prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Fiona Kennedy told the court Kettels was picked up by police driving while disqualified in Shepparton on November 17, 2020.

The court heard he knew he had no licence but he told police he had to get out of the house because they were “putting a flea bomb in there” and didn’t want anyone in there for it.

He was stopped a second time by police, driving while disqualified in Kialla Lakes Dve on January 2 last year.

Kettels’ solicitor told the court her client had sold his car since the offences and now had an unregistered car for which his father had the keys.

She said he had since secured employment as a spray painter and needed his licence to work.

Magistrate Peter Mithen told Kettels his attitude had to change.

“Your priors are not a happy looking set of priors. You’ve been on the road three years and you’ve got a driving record that is unimpressive,” Mr Mithen said.

Kettels was convicted and fined $800, but did not lose his licence.