Picton Local Court Case Win: A focus on rehabilitiation for Driving while Disqualified

Lawyer-in-charge: Carolyn Shiels

Coutts recently had a matter at Picton Local Court where a client who had a long history of driving whilst disqualified and who has served custodial sentences for this offence was given a huge opportunity.  This client was facing his 14^th drive disqualified, having been recently released from a custodial sentence for the same offence.

We carefully prepared the plea, entering a plea at the first available opportunity.  We obtained a psychological report and had positive subjective matters to put before the Court indicating that there had been a change in the mindset of a client who was determined to ensure his offending ways were going to stop repeating themselves.

After submissions and discussions with his Honour, the Court considered it appropriate to give the client an opportunity not afforded to him previously, which was a Community Corrections Order for 18 months, supervised by Community Corrections with a focus on rehabilitation.

This type of sentence would usually be almost ‘unheard of’ with a person with such a history of reoffending.  The case illustrates the manner in which the Court was able to be guided towards the rehabilitation and benefits to a client to be on a lengthy supervised bond, as opposed to being simply gaoled once again.