If you’ve been lucky enough to get bail for one crime, it’s probably best not to commit another one in the meantime.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
And especially not while you’re in the middle of reporting to police as part of that original bail.
But Iokimi Nagelevuki doesn’t appear to be the deepest of thinkers.
The 18-year-old had been charged with two break and enters and was on strict bail – the number one condition being “to be of good behavour” – when he popped into Wollongong Police Station on November 19 to comply with the thrice weekly reporting obligations.
Unfortunately for him, police were watching, and by getting behind the wheel of a car that day, Nagelevuki was not only breaching his bail, but committing the crime of driving while disqualified.
Court documents said Nagelevuki had never held a licence in NSW and was banned from applying for one until 2020 after being convicted of drink-driving in July 2017 as a 17-year-old.
Police charged Nagelevuki with a fresh offence of driving without a licence after he was captured on CCTV pulling up to the police station on November 19, going in to report, and then driving off.
He pleaded guilty to that offence as well as the break and enters during a recent court appearance.
Magistrate Michael Stoddart fined Nagelevuki $1000 and placed him on a 12-month community corrections order for the driving matter, but not before passing comment on Nagelevuki’s actions that day.
“You drove from Fairy Meadow to Wollongong to report on bail – how dumb is that?” he said.
“Do you take the law seriously? It’s about time you woke up to yourself.”
Nagelevuki told the court through his lawyer he was unable to get a lift and had not money to catch public transport to the police station.
As part of the sentence, Nagelevuki was also barred from applying for a licence for a further 12 months on top of his current disqualification period.
He will be sentenced over the break and enters at a later date.