A Mount Pleasant man has been labelled an "idiot" and a "revhead" after he pleaded guilty to performing a 77-metre burnout in his blue Nissan Skyline.
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Ethan Patrick Quinn, 21, fronted Wollongong Local Court on Thursday where he was handed his sentence for prolonging or sustaining loss of traction.
Shortly after 1am on May 15, Quinn was travelling on a Sydney road near The Royal Botanic Garden when he slowed his car to a stop before accelerating, causing the rear wheels to lose traction.
Smoke billowed as Quinn travelled 77 metres with the rear wheels spinning which left two tyre marks on the roadway, according to documents tendered to the court.
Quinn's burn out was caught on CCTV and was also spotted by another car leaving the road at the time.
Police located the burnout marks on the road the following day and started an investigation.
About 9pm on July 10, police attended Quinn's home and identified him as the person responsible for the Nissan Skyline.
He admitted to police he was the driver.
Quinn told police he had gone for a drive with friends for a birthday, and was peer pressured to perform the burnout.
He admitted to the incident, and said no one else was in the car at the time. According to court documents, Quinn showed instant remorse.
In court on Thursday, lawyer Peter Franke told the court Quinn has taken actions to show his remorse, and that he is employed with a genuine need for his licence.
"He took it off his own bat to take the registration off his own vehicle even before he was charged with the offence," he said.
Mr Franke asked the court to not convict his client and added "there was no explanation except that he was being an idiot".
However, Magistrate Claire Girotto pointed to Quinn's driving record and said it did not offer him leniency.
"His driving record is shocking for someone so young. He's a rev head," Magistrate Girotto said.
"If he came to court with no record, I would probably not convict him. I don't think it's appropriate to send a message that it's okay to do what you did.
"The truth is, you're right in that statistic of deaths on the road in young men."
Magistrate Girotto disqualified Quinn from driving for three months, backdated to when he was charged in July 10. He was also ordered to pay a $500 fine.
Read more Illawarra court and crime stories here.
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Grace Crivellaro
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
Court reporter for the Illawarra Mercury.
