A MAGISTRATE has warned a young Ballarat man that he is “precisely” the type of driver who kills innocent people.
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Sentencing Joshua Groth, 20, in Ballarat Magistrates Court on Monday, magistrate Cynthia Toose said the young offender “couldn’t care less” about his constant disregard for the law.
“It’s almost beyond belief,” Ms Toose said.
“(It was) totally irresponsible conduct ... frankly you couldn’t care less.”
Earlier, the court heard of Groth’s ongoing offending, which started in August last year when he began snubbing laws.
Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Pepe Brown said Groth was caught driving in Drummond Street, Ballarat, on August 22 last year when police intercepted him after seeing him “fish tale” along the road.
The court heard Groth, a learner driver, had no supervising driver beside him and wasn’t displaying learner plates.
On September 5, Groth was caught driving again.
This time he was clocked at 114km/h in an 80km/h zone on the Midland Highway near Sebastopol, the court heard.
Leading Senior Constable Brown said Groth again told police he had a learner’s permit, while a passenger beside him also had a learner’s permit.
The court heard he was also caught on October 27 last year in Carlton, again driving with his leaner’s permit and without a supervising passenger.
Groth pleaded guilty to charges including careless driving and being a learner driver without an experienced driver.
A lawyer for Groth said her client had displayed “poor judgement” on each occasion and had been placed in positions where he felt he had to drive.
The lawyer said Groth was still a young man and was about to become a father.
Ms Toose said Groth was entitled to some benefit due to his young age.
Groth was fined $500 and placed on a 12-month community corrections order.
He must perform 100 hours of unpaid community work.