A Ballarat man who notched up his 20th conviction for driving without a current licence has been jailed.
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Magistrate Gregory Robinson jailed Chayne Davey-Howard for three months, telling him it was difficult to fathom why he continued to break the law.
"If jail doesn't send a message (to stop driving unlicensed) I don't know what will," he said.
Looking at Davey-Howard's 22 pages of VicRoads priors, Mr Robinson said not punishing the accused was a "matter of real unfairness" to those who organised lifts or caught public transport knowing they were suspended or disqualified from driving.
"I think I'll take a stand for those honest people who abide by their convictions," he said.
The three-month jail sentence imposed was one month short of the maximum penalty for driving disqualified.
The court earlier heard Davey-Howard, who was disqualified from driving for four years at the time, was intercepted on Norman Street last November in an unregistered car without the correct number plates fixed.
Davey-Howard's lawyer, David Taminika, said his client had difficulties with foresight and, at the time, did not put much thought into getting behind the wheel.
He urged the magistrate to consider giving his client unpaid community work to complete rather than jailing him.
"Jail or fines won't have much benefit to the community," he said.
But Mr Robinson rejected the submission.
Davey-Howard was also fined $1200 for driving an unregistered car and having false plates fixed.
He has since lodged an appeal.