A P-plater who crossed a highway and collected several road signs, "showing off" to a passenger, has been given a stern warning by a Ballarat magistrate.
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Magistrate Hugh Radford asked the teenager on Monday: "Was there something whispering in your ear saying this was not a good idea?"
"Or were you just showing off to a mate?"
The teen replied: "It was just a silly mistake."
The 18 -year-old, who The Courier has chosen not to name as he avoided conviction, appeared in the Ballarat Magistrates' Court after he drove his Toyota Hilux off the road on the evening of Saturday 18 June, 2022, damaging road signs in his path.
He had gotten his probationary P1 licence three months earlier.
Damaged signs included along Skipton Road, Lismore-Scarsdale Road, and along the Hamilton Highway; where he collected seven road signs before driving the vehicle to the wrong side of the road to take aim at two more.
The teen was later interviewed at Skipton Police Station where he made admissions to driving when his Hilux collided with the damaged road signs and was charged with criminal damage.
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Mr Radford called the driver's actions "idiotic," recalling a a similar matter that was fatal.
"You know signs are there to alert people," he said.
"This happened a couple of years ago ... a passenger was killed when the signs went through the front window."
Defence for the teenager asked for the offending to be dealt with by way of diversion program - outside of the court - and cited "youth, lack of experience and lack of insight" behind the driver's actions as it was his first time before the court.
The magistrate replied: "I'm not sure it will be his last."
The maximum penalty for a charge of criminal damage is 10 years jail.
Mr Radford declined to grant diversion to the driver and told the court the accused was lucky he would not impose restrictions on his licence.
"I'm not going to grant [diversion]. It's too serious. He's putting the public at risk," he said.
The teenager was instead ordered to pay a $500 fine.
"Hopefully that will make you think twice about doing it again," Mr Radford said.
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