A string of traffic offences amounting to a potential $12,500 fine has left one Smith’s man with the threat of prison time.

Magistrates’ Court heard that between October 2025 and April 2026, Ernest James Smith, 62, was stopped 12 times by police.

On each occasion he was found to be either using an unlicensed car, not having insurance or failing to properly maintain the vehicle he was driving.

Smith continuously failed to turn up to court until yesterday morning, when he pleaded guilty to all charges against him.

Magistrate Auralee Cassidy said: “These are tickets spanning from October 2025 to April this year.

“He doesn’t come to court and continues to offend. It gives the court very little comfort that he will actually comply with community service.

“If he’s working part-time, this will take years, and it appears he has no regard for the offences.”

Defence lawyer Vaughan Caines mentioned that Mr Smith was a care provider to an elderly person and argued that “locking up Mr Smith does not help the public or Mr Smith himself”.

Mr Caines said that he had “heard” the court and was aware of the seriousness of the repeat offences, but asked if there was “any way that the court can deal with this” outside of jail.

He added that Smith found himself “between a rock and a hard place”.

Ms Cassidy said: “Mr Smith, I’m going to order a short-form social inquiry report to get some insight into what’s going on in your life. I’m going to extend your time to pay until July 8.

“I’m going to have you come on July 8 to this court so that the court can have a look at you.

“Come back to court then to see what we can do to find a solution other than sending you to jail.”

Bail was granted with a condition that Mr Smith does not drive the motor vehicle in question.

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