A Lavington man jailed for disqualified driving has been cut off from speaking by a magistrate just before being led to the cells.
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Minutes earlier Glenn Michael Jennings appeared stunned upon being told his fate.
Jennings, 32, who is unemployed, later lodged an appeal against the severity of the sentence, having pleaded guilty to a second offence of drive while disqualified and drive a registered vehicle with number plates not displayed.
He was supported in court this week by his partner, who Mr Murray heard would have to solely look after the couple’s four children.
Defence solicitor Sascha McCorriston said a full-time sentence “is certainly going to have an impact on his family”, especially given that the youngest was only 12-months-old.
Ms McCorriston said Jennings had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and because work placements were not possible under a community service order, a suspended sentence would be most appropriate.
But Mr Murray strongly disagreed, pointing to a NSW Probation and Parole Service report that noted how Jennings had “refused to comply” with conditions relating to an assessment for an intensive corrections order.
“In my view the only option is a full-time period in custody,” he said.
And with that Mr Murray sentenced Jennings to seven months’ jail, with a non-parole period of three months.
He was disqualified from driving for 30 months and convicted and fined $700.
Mr Murray replied with a curt “no” when Jennings interjected with the question: “Excuse me your honour, can I say something?”
Jennings has an extensive criminal history in NSW and Victoria for mainly traffic-related offences and was recently charged in Victoria with evading police.
Jennings had been arrested after police saw him ride a motorbike into the Springdale Heights Tavern car park on September 26 at 3.35pm.
The Victorian-registered motorbike did not have a number plate. Police chased Jennings after he got off the bike and found him hiding in the beer garden.