Unlicensed driver caught with meth imprisoned again

William Orde, 27, of Norman Street, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court on Thursday to driving an unregistered vehicle, driving unlicensed and possessing methamphetamine.

A police prosecutor withdrew a charge of trafficking ice.

The court heard that despite Orde being in possession of more than two-and-a-half times the trafficable amount of ice, the drugs found in his car were for personal use and there was no evidence he was selling them.

Orde was arrested on Thursday soon after midnight after police intercepted him driving a silver Holden Commodore sedan on the Henty Highway at Portland.

The routine intercept revealed the vehicle registration was suspended and Orde's licence was disqualified in August last year for 12 months.

Orde appeared to be nervous and agitated and the vehicle was subsequently searched.

Officers located 7.23 grams of ice.

Orde was arrested and conveyed to Portland police station where he made full admissions to the offending.

He told police he was "hitting the drugs really hard to cope with personal issues".

The court heard Orde had 17 pages of criminal priors, most of which related to driving offences.

In the last two years he has served jail sentences for both driving and drug trafficking.

Lawyer Morgan Adams said Orde's intention was to stop using drugs and focus on his personal life.

He said his client had started a new relationship with a more upstanding woman with no criminal history.

The pair are expecting a child soon, he said.

Magistrate Michael Coghlan said Coghlan had a history of breaching correction orders.

"That seems to be a waste of time," he said.

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