COURT: Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court
Bunnings scam fails
Karly Gibbs visited Bunnings Thomastown empty-handed, went to Aisle 56, picked up a Hoover pet spot cleaner, and then tried to obtain a $399 refund, presenting an old receipt.
When challenged by staff, Ms Gibbs immediately left the store, Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court was told.
Pleading guilty, Ms Gibbs made full admissions, and wrote a letter of apology.
Her life had been of hardship and tragedy, recently suffering the miscarriage of twins, and losing everything in a fire at her rented house.
Her mother had died at age 5, she was on a community corrections order, was a user of methylamphetamine, and had no income or any benefit. Her partner, on Centrelink, supports her.
She was convicted and fined $150.
Mum blew 0.110
Doreen mum Amy Cowell, 37, blew .110 and tested positive for drug use when she crashed her teenage kids’ unregistered dirt bike on her Bridge Inn Rd property, Heidelberg Court was told.
Ms Cowell, an event horse trainer, suffered lacerations to her left forearm, and ongoing damage to her neck in the crash with the boundary line fence.
Ms Cowell had admitted also to using cannabis prior to the accident which hospit-alised her for 10 days.
She suffered concussion, short-term emory loss, and is unlikely to be able to return to her work.
All licences have been cancelled for 17 months, and she was placed on a good behaviour bond, with conviction.
Man crying after fight
Lipina Taufa was crying after “an argument with the missus”, crashing his 2024 Haval vehicle into a Vicroads sign at Lee Cres and Gleeson Dr, Bundoora, just 100 metres from home, Heidelberg Court was told.
He said he panicked, and did not report the accident to Police. There were witnesses who did.
Pleading guilty, he was seeking a job as a Tongan interpreter, but a conviction might be an obstacle to that. He was placed on a three-month good behaviour bond.
Afternoon of drinking
AVIS administration manager Marilu Coetzee did not want to drive to her parents’ Doreen home after an afternoon’s drinking of beer, but her mother insisted, Heidelberg Court was told.
Her father had fallen, and her mother needed Marilu’s help.
Ms Coetzee’s grey Mitsu-bishi wagon had an accident with an oncoming silver Kia, as she attempted a turn at the Yan Yean Rd-Cookes Rds corner.
Police said she blew 0.13.
Ms Coetzee earned about $2200 per fortnight after tax.
She was fined $800, plus $144 costs, with all licences cancelled for 26 months.
The Magistrate said if faced with a similar transport problem, people always had the option of ordering a taxi.
Wrong place, wrong time
Jackson Robert Northrop was caught with drug paraphernalia on a table at his mate’s place in Hailes St, Greensborough, when Police called by to exercise a warrant.
Mr Northrop was found with a glass pipe. and .7gm of methylamphetamine.
He pleaded guilty: “he was in the wrong place at the wrong time,” said his lawyer.
“It doesn’t excuse his behaviour,” replied the Heidelberg Court Magistrate.
Mr Northrop, a disability pension receipient, was convicted and fined $100.
Bad night for sparky
Second-year apprentice electrician Lachlan Cowan shared an afternoon of employer-paid Christmas drinks with other employee peers … and then the night went horribly wrong.
Mr Cowan, 20, went to his grandparents’ home, and his steady girlfriend told him that he had too much to drink.
He chose to take a bike ride to Eltham Railway Station, but decided it would be easier to catch a bus home. The driver asked Protective Services Officer to remove Cowan and bike from the bus.
He was verbally aggressive with the PSOs, attempting to knock the hat off one of them. He was taken home in the back of a divisional van, but not before being sprayed with capsicum spray.
Mr Cowan’s lawyer said the young amn was horrified when he watched the incidents back on CCTV.
He immediately wrote letters of apology to the officers. The Magistrate described the correspondence as eloquent and elegant.
The Magistrate said that he thought the era had long passed with alcohol served by employers at Christmas parties, because people got into trouble.
Heidelberg Court was told that Mr Cowan often worked 60-hour weeks for Switch Electrical, and until recently also held down a part-time job at McDonalds Greensborough.
He had been a CFA volunteer at Eltham and Flower-dale.
The Magistrate said it was likely that Mr Cowan had a good future ahead of him.
Even though his conduct was “abominable”, he looked likely to become a valued member of the community.
He was placed on a good behaviour bond for six months.
Stole sunglasses
Fawkner man Adam Melinger pleaded guilty to theft, after taking a pair of $264Aviator sunglasses from a Northland store.
Mr Melinger told Heidelberg Court he was “being stupid” in the company of two friends.
On another charge, he pled guilty to failing to answering bail, saying that he was confused about the dates, and self-reported next day to Fawkner Police Station.
The 20-year-old works as a baggage handler at the airport. He was placed on a 12-month bond without conviction.
Court has no discretion
Local air conditioning maintenance franchisee Darren Fox was hopeful that he might escape a licence suspension, but was advised by Heidelberg Court that such discretion had been removed for drivers caught 25-kmh or more above the speed limit.
The Court was told that Mr Fox’s white Mitsubishi Triton was clocked at 67-kmh in a 40-kmh zone near Ivanhoe Grammar School’s Bridge Inn Rd campus at Doreen.
“I just lost my train of thought,” Mr Fox explained to intercepting Police.
He had been given a $548 infringement notice and three-month licence suspension.
Mr Fox, 61, said he drove up to 35,000-km per year, and had a decent drivng record.
He outlined his community service work with Diamond Valley Rotary, the Diamond Valley Foodbank, and the RSL.
As well as the three-month licence suspension, he was fined $200 with conviction.
Fined $100
Teacher’s assistant Stella Glykokalamos was fined $100 after pleading guilty to making a left-hand turn from the right-hand lane of St George’s Rd in Preston.