A TERANG man who drove briefly to check a vehicle he had been working on has managed to avoid serving a suspended jail sentence.
Aaron Burrow-Buck, 21, of Grey Street, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court to driving while suspended.
That offence breached a three-month suspended sentence which was imposed in February 2011.
Magistrate Jonathan Kle-stadt found that there were exceptional circumstances that allowed Burrow-Buck to avoid serving the suspended term.
Burrow-Buck was instead convicted and fined $3000.
Police alleged that just after 8pm on October 27 last year Burrow-Buck was at his Grey Street home working on a Holden Commodore sedan.
He took the car for a brief drive down the street, did a U-turn and went home but was intercepted by police.
Burrow-Buck was found to be driving while suspended after losing his licence due to demerit points.
His driving record is not good with prior offences for speeding and drink-driving in 2010 and the suspended jail sentence was imposed in February 2011 on five charges of driving while suspended.
Defence counsel Michael Lumsden said as well as the suspended sentence, Burrow-Buck served two months in a youth justice centre which had prompted him to turn around his life.
Mr Klestadt said he accepted the defendant had made significant changes to his life, was now employed and expecting a child with his partner.
The magistrate said that the new offending was of a different nature and had involved a brief example of driving for a specific purpose which led to exceptional circumstances.
