A man banned from driving until 2027 has been placed on a 12-month bond after he was busted behind the wheel of a car twice in three months.
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In documents tendered to Mudgee Local Court, police said they saw a black Nissan Navara ute fail to completely halt at a stop sign on Mortimer and Douro Streets in Mudgee at 1.40pm on November 11, 2021.
Police stopped the vehicle and informed the driver - Bowen Jeffrey Arrowsmith - of his actions. Arrowsmith told police his wallet had been stolen and he was unable to show his licence.
Checks in the RMS system revealed the Mudgee resident had been disqualified from driving until October 2027 for drug driving.
It was the second time in three months police had caught Arrowsmith illegally behind the wheel. He was spotted driving a white Daihatsu sedan along the New England Highway in Moonbi about 4.05pm on February 19, 2022.
At the time, police were conducting a traffic stop with an unrelated car when another driver stopped to inform police that Arrowsmith had forced him off the roadway.
A short time later, police located Arrowsmith's car at a heavy vehicle arrester bed run off. Police approached Arrowsmith and his female passenger regarding the complaint.
When asked to show his licence, Arrowsmith told police "I don't have one, I left it at home in my wallet", the court heard.
Police spoke with Arrowsmith about his licence status when he said "I am suspended or something like that, I know I don't have a licence".
"I was driving up to Grafton to pick up my girlfriend who got out of jail and was driving back to Mudgee," he said.
After testing negative to alcohol, Arrowsmith returned a positive oral drug detection of methamphetamine.
He was taken to Tamworth Police Station where he was issued a court notice.
During sentencing in court on April 6, Magistrate David Day said Arrowsmith's driving record was not the worst he had seen but "it's getting there".
"He has not crossed the custody threshold but if he keeps driving while disqualified he'll know where that line is," Magistrate Day said.
Arrowsmith was sentenced to a 12-month community correction order and disqualified from driving for an additional seven months.
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Jay-Anna Sleeman
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
Reporter for the Western Advocate. First began as a sports journalist with ACM in 2018 before moving on to cover news and court.
