James Lee Farrell convicted in Bathurst Court of driving unlicensed

James Lee Farrell, 37, of Peacock Street, Eglinton, was convicted in his absence at Bathurst Local Court on May 17, 2023 of driving with a cancelled licence.

According to court documents, Farrell was behind the wheel of a red Mazda 3 heading north along Stewart Street in Bathurst about 5.30pm on March 29, 2023 when he was stopped by police for testing.

Farrell was asked for his driver's licence before police did checks on the RMS system, which showed his licence had been cancelled from January 13, 2023 for three months.

The court heard Farrell told police that he was not in court on the day his licence was suspended, but admitted he received a copy of the disqualification, which listed the details.

Magistrate Atkinson read the police report to the court before she found the charge against Farrell, who she believed to have a "not so brilliant" driving record, proved in his absence.

"He was given the opportunity to show up to court and he didn't," Ms Atkinson said.

Farrell was fined $750 and disqualified from getting behind the wheel for six months.

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