A TRUCK depot manager has been fined $500 and banned from driving in NSW for six weeks after failing to disclose the identity of a driver involved in a burnout at Lavington last year.
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Brian John Gill appeared in Albury Local Court for sentencing and magistrate Tony Murray initially asked for his licence to be surrendered immediately.
Gill, 35, of Union Road, said his licence was with his wallet, which was at work, and he could not provide it.
Mr Murray adjourned the case for two hours so the licence could be retrieved and handed over.
When Gill returned to court, his solicitor Mark Cronin said it was a Victorian licence, which prevented Mr Murray taking it.
But he told Gill a six-week driving ban applied in NSW and VicRoads may send him a notice asking why his licence should not be suspended in Victoria.
The court was told police travelling to a job in Lavington saw a large amount of smoke covering the McDonald Road and Prune Street intersection about 5pm on June 16.
Officers were unable to see a vehicle, but a number of people were on the nature strip and fresh burnout marks over a distance of 87 metres were evident.
One witness told police it was a Holden V8 sedan which was involved for about 15 seconds, provided its registration number and said a man was driving at the time.
Police went to an address in Union Road where the car was registered, but a woman there said she was separated from Gill.
The following day police spoke to Gill, who said he was the only person to drive the vehicle, but denied any knowledge of the burnout.
Officers about 9am the next morning went to the residence in Union Road and saw double gates had been barricaded with tin, wire, bins and a ladder.
They looked over a side fence and saw a Holden sedan with the registration number they had been given.
A woman later claimed she was driving the vehicle two days earlier, but said she did not do the burnout.
In a record interview with police, she claimed she didn’t know where the car was.
Police told her they had seen it in the backyard and the woman claimed she did not go out the back.
Gill spoke to police the following evening and claimed his former partner was driving the vehicle, but declined to take part in an interview.
Mr Murray said when imposing the penalties it was an atrocious display of dangerous driving.
