Maurice John bragged online that he had beaten the law, but his bravado backfired when Acting Sergeant James Robbins read his comments.
Steve Butcher
February 21, 2007
MAURICE John has learned a useful lesson — don't sing when you get a canary.
The car-crazy 22-year-old from St Albans collected a police "major defect notice" in South Yarra that deemed his Nissan 200 SX convertible unroadworthy. The yellow notice — known as a "canary" — was stuck to his windscreen by Acting Sergeant James Robbins of the Stonnington traffic management unit.
John got pinged for two bald tyres at 11pm on August 12 last year at a roadblock in Chapel Street, but Acting Sergeant Robbins generously gave him an hour to get home rather than have his car towed away.
John stupidly didn't take up the chance, choosing instead to drive on and party on.
Unbeknown to police, John was a disqualified probationary driver who gave a false name.
Two days later, under his user-name MR-GTIR/S15, John shared his Saturday night experience with users of the nissansilvia.com car club internet chat room and boasted of his getaway.
He wrote: "Saturday night, cruising through Chaps looking for a car park so I can go 2 Chasers! The usual cops that are always kickin back in front of Chasers/KFC, wasting taxpayers money … "I got done for having 2 semi-racing slicks on the back which were a little bit bald! Motherf---ers. It was 11pm. The officer gave me till midnight to get the car home or it would have to be towed! I tried negotiating with him 2 let me drive it tomorrow, but didn't happen.
"Anyways they let me go. I was more pissed off that I had 2 go home & get another car when Im in front of my destination.
"So, instead I go around the block & park in the multi-level car park behind KFC … Walked straight in and rocked all night!"
John signed off by revealing that he peeled off the notice and "then busted home!"
It was revealed yesterday in Melbourne Magistrates Court that among the visitors to the chat room was the diligent Acting Sergeant Robbins, who regularly scans such sites as part of the unit's investigative work.
When John pleaded guilty to five offences — including two charges of driving while disqualified — his lawyer Tony Danos said Acting Sergeant Robbins recognised his client "as the one he pulled up the night before".
Mr Danos said John should have known better, but decided to "have an evening out and boast about it on the website, which brought him undone".
Magistrate Angela Bolger said driving while disqualified was regarded as a contempt of the law and a prison sentence was mandatory for a second offence.
John was jailed for one month, the term suspended for 12 months, fined $400 and had his licence cancelled for a year.
"We all await with interest the posting tonight on the web," Ms Bolger commented.
John, who regards himself as a "spirited driver" rather than a hoon, later told The Age he was "shattered".
"There's a lot of people who will say bad luck, but (Acting Sergeant Robbins) got me off the road so, well done, he caught me," he said.
Acting Sergeant Robbins told The Age the unit monitored car club websites as an intelligence-gathering exercise to follow car modifications, user conversations and to "monitor specific individuals".
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