Dylan French initially told Wodonga magistrate Ian Watkins on Monday it wasn’t him behind the wheel of his black Ford utility on April 5.

“I don’t recall ever being there,” he said of the incident outside the Caltex in Wodonga’s High Street.

“The last thing I would do is burnouts on the main street.”

French said he lived in West Wodonga and filled up at APCO.

“I do not recall doing a burnout leaving any servo,” he told the court.

Police had recognised his car’s registration and spoke to him at the scene.

French is well known to local officers, and his driving was witnessed by patrons at O’Mailles.

He had driven from the service station, spinning his wheels on High Street while revving his engine heavily.

He was less than co-operative as they tried to impound his car, sitting on the bonnet as a tow truck driver tried to remove the vehicle.

French came to police attention again on May 10 after being caught driving while banned following a drug suspension.

He was again unhappy when police tried to impound his utility, and drove it up a driveway before putting a steering wheel lock on and leaving with the key.

French eventually changed his pleas to guilty.

The magistrate asked French, “you don’t have a brilliant driving record, do you?”

“I think I’m harassed,” he replied.

Mr Watkins wondered if he had an attitude problem, but French said the police thought they were better than him.

“I don’t think they are.” 

He was fined $1000 and banned from driving for a further four months.