A DISABILITY pensioner with a history of homelessness has had $21,000 in fines scrapped by a magistrate.
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Brenda Wallis, 58, of Kerr Street, Warrnambool, successfully made an application for the fines to be reviewed by magistrate Alan Spillane in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court.
The court heard the total amount of outstanding fines in Australia was $21,000.20.
Mr Spillane said it would be unfair - "horrendous" - to jail Wallis.
He said he would wipe out all the fines, which he had never done before in his extensive time as a magistrate.
The magistrate said it was clearly an extraordinary set of circumstances and the fines were accrued during a time when Wallis was homeless and in dire circumstances.
Wallis' lawyer said her client had suffered chronic homelessness in the Werribee area.
Fourteen of the fines related to having unregistered animals and there were also fines for having dogs at large.
The solicitor said Wallis had up to three animals at one time but she had now been able to rehouse those.
There were also 12 warrants issued for driving an unregistered car.
Wallis was involved in a major car accident in New Zealand during her 20s, had a troubled childhood and had been a long-term alcoholic before coming to Australia .
She also has a debt of $8500 to the New Zealand inland revenue.