Is Jason Blackley Wollongong’s most prolific unlicensed driver?
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His abysmal traffic record suggests he could be.
The Albion Park panel beater has been banned from getting behind the wheel of a car for a whopping 87 years – the culmination of 26 convictions for driving without a licence.
Now aged 43, Blackley is currently not eligible to regain his licence until 2086. If still alive, he would be 113.
However, that time frame is expected to be further increased in the near future after Blackley was caught driving illegally again on Saturday afternoon.
Court documents reveal police spotted Blackley’s red Holden Commodore speeding on Calderwood Road around 12.50pm.
Estimating the vehicle was doing between 90 and 100km/hr, officers followed car onto Marshall Mount Road before pulling it over.
Officers said they immediately recognised Blackley as a long-time disqualified driver.
When asked why he was behind the wheel, Blackley allegedly said “I was checking the clutch, it was slipping … it was just from down the road.”
Blackley was arrested and charged with driving while disqualified, using an unregistered and uninsured vehicle and not having number plates fixed correctly.
Police opposed Blackley’s bail application in Wollongong Local Court on Sunday, saying he had already been in jail for the same offence and would most likely face more time behind bars if convicted over this incident.
“He has total disregard for the traffic laws of NSW and continues to commit traffic offences,” arresting officers said in court papers.
However, defence lawyer Sally McLaughlin said Blackley was trying to turn his life around, having set up a panel beating business despite knowing he would be off the road “for life”.
She said Blackley would plead guilty to the charges but argued a full time jail sentence was not “inevitable” given the unique circumstances of the case.
Registrar Peter Ritchie agreed to grant Blackley strict bail despite his awful record.
Among the conditions imposed on the bail was a combined $3,000 surety and daily reporting.
The matter will return to court next month.
He has total disregard for the traffic laws of NSW and continues to commit traffic offences
- Arresting officers