A NOWRA Hill man who has never held a driver’s licence and is disqualified from driving until 2036, has been jailed after being caught behind the wheel three times in the past three months.
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Jeoffery Leslie Stewart, 24, was jailed for two years with a non-parole period of 17 months in Nowra Local Court on Tuesday.
Magistrate Gabriel Fleming also added an additional two years to his disqualification period, meaning he will be in his mid 40s before he is eligible to drive.
The court heard Stewart had previously been declared a habitual offender.
Police allegedly spotted Stewart driving a Holden Commodore on Albatross Road around 1.50pm on April 17.
Court papers said the vehicle accelerated harshly into Berry Street, where a man was seen running from the rear of the vehicle towards Albatross Road.
Police said the Commodore stopped in Berry Street and officers pursued the man who was seen running from the area.
He was found a short distance away but allegedly had nothing to do with the incident.
When police returned, Stewart’s mother was in the driver’s seat and he denied he had been behind the wheel.
Police arrested Stewart and charged him with driving while disqualified, using an unregistered and uninsured vehicle, using misleading number plates and with the vehicle having a defect.
Stewart pleaded guilty and Magistrate Fleming fined him $650 for using an unregistered vehicle and $435 for unauthorised plates.
The court heard Stewart was caught again two weeks later on April 26, this time in Hillcrest Avenue and John Purcell Way at South Nowra.
He was caught for a third time around 4.10pm on June 2 on Holloway Road at Nowra.
Police, who were driving in the opposite direction, saw Stewart behind the wheel.
He allegedly stopped the car in the driveway of a nearby home, got out, put his hands up and walked towards police.
Evidence stated he turned around and put his hands behind his back anticipating being handcuffed.
He was charged with driving while disqualified, driving an unregistered motor vehicle and with having unauthorised number plates.