By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
Hoons caught on video performing smoking donuts and burnouts in tandem – and in one instance hitting a spectator – at South East Skids meets in an industrial estate have had their cars forfeited to the state.
More than 20 offenders – arrested as part of Taskforce Regarder police investigations – were called at a packed Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday 8 June.
All of them had performed circle burnouts in a turnaround bowl during various illegal meets at Licola Crescent, Dandenong South.
Court onlookers viewed police CCTV footage which had zoned in on the number plates of cars and their drivers as they lined up in two long queues to join the action.
Around the bowl were more than 100 spectators, some of whom entered the bowl to film the wildly spinning cars from close-range, and were barely visible through the thick smoke.
All but one of the hoons who pleaded guilty to offences including dangerous driving and reckless, endangering conduct had their cars forfeited by magistrate Barry Schulz.
One of them was Mitchell Gifford of Cranbourne who was captured on CCTV performing skids at an event on 13 January.
Later that morning he attempted to evade police during a pursuit in Cranbourne by driving at up to 135km/h.
During the abandoned pursuit he caused other drivers to brake heavily as he entered a roundabout on the wrong side of the road and turned right.
His blue Falcon was seized during his arrest at home later that day.
The same car had been observed performing a sustained, circular burnout in Lynbrook in October as well as in a Bundoora industrial estate in late 2014.
Gifford’s lawyer argued the accused was self-medicating with alcohol due to past severe bullying, anxiety and depression.
He had also suffered the loss of his car for the past five months, the court was told.
Magistrate Barry Schulz said Gifford’s conduct was at “the higher end” and over an extended period.
He noted members of the public were put at “incredible risk” by Gifford’s evasion of police in Cranbourne.
“It’s a matter of your (young) age that has particularly saved you from a period of imprisonment.”
He was convicted and put on a 12-month community corrections order, including supervision, and 125 hours of unpaid work and offenders’ programs.
Gifford was disqualified from driving for 18 months, ordered to take part in a safe driving program and had his car forfeited.
In other cases, Mitchell Paul McCullagh, 21, was facing a “significant” community corrections order due to his vehicle knocking a spectator off her feet during a smoking donut at the Licola Crescent turnaround bowl.
Mr Schulz said an eloquent psychological report saved McCullagh from jail.
The report detailed the accused’s low intelligence and explained how cars alone bolstered his esteem.
McCullagh’s Falcon ute was forfeited. He was put on a 24-month community corrections order, including 250 hours of unpaid work, and disqualified from driving for a year.
On 13 January Brodie Treloar’s car entered the turnbowl after another vehicle.
Footage played to the court showed that the pair of vehicles did tandem, circular burnouts while a passenger sat out of the window of Treloar’s car.
At the same time several people walked in the middle to film the performance – akin to “running with the bulls”, Mr Schulz said.
The magistrate said those factors frighteningly heightened the “inexcusable” conduct of the 20-year-old Cranbourne accused.
Treloar was put on a 12-month community order with 125 hours of unpaid work and his licence disqualified for six months – taking into account his need to drive to Tyabb for full-time work.
Police did not apply for him to forfeit his vehicle, which Treloar had sold prior to his arrest.
Jason Neaves faced a significant community corrections order and possible forfeiture of his Commodore with number plate DR1FTS after pleading guilty to performing spinning burnouts at a South East Skids meet in Dandenong South on 9 December.
Mr Schulz took into account Neave’s early, frank admissions to police as well as his experience at legal drag meets – though that was a “double-edged sword”.
“He should have known better,” the magistrate said.
Lachlan Forsyth, of Cranbourne, had his vehicle forfeited, was fined $1500, put on a 12-month good behaviour bond, a safe-driving course and lost his driver’s licence for 12 months.
He had pleaded guilty to reckless conduct as well as driving suspended and driving an unregistered vehicle.
His cases continues.
Most of the offenders were aged up to their early 20s with limited or no prior offences.
An older exception was Trent Alexander Thompson who had several relevant priors and received a sentence indication of imprisonment and the possible forfeiture of his $100,000 car.
He sobbed in court and blurted “No” when it was mentioned that he could lose his car.
Prosecutor Acting Sergeant Cameron Smithett said police had yet to finish investigating a 46 giga-byte, 3500-page file of videos and pictures of Thompson’s vehicle at similar meets and at similar locations.
Thompson was bailed to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 29 June along with alleged South East Skids organiser Marcus Cory Reddecliffe.
Another repeat offender was Clinton Wawrzik who had his Falcon with the plates LUXXRY impounded for 30 days after speeding at 153km/h on Monash Freeway in November.
Less than a week later he sped up to 130km/h in his girlfriend’s car during an illegal drag race from traffic lights on Warrigal Road, Murrumbeena.
Days after his LUXXRY Falcon was returned, Wawrzik was captured doing circle burnouts at Licola Crescent.
At the time of these offences, he was on a community corrections order.
Mr Schulz had the Falcon impounded but had the custom-made number plates returned after a plea from Wawrzik.
The accused was sentenced to a concurrent community order with a further 75 hours after the Office of Corrections submitted it was happy for him to stay on a CCO.
Wawrzik was disqualified from driving for 18 months and ordered to attend a safe-driving program.
Other participants were bailed to appear at contest mentions at the court on 21 June.
