Mandurah: Expectant father sent to jail for driving without valid license

AN EXPECTANT father who is a primary carer to his vision-impaired dad will leave his responsibilities behind after he was sentenced to prison today for driving without a valid license.

Rory Alexander Dickson (30) pleaded guilty to two counts of driving while having no authority to drive in Mandurah Magistrates Court.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Tammy Read said Dickson was stopped by police in February and March this year for driving when his license was suspended.

Dickson had his license suspended from 2018 to 2021.

He was released from prison in January this year after serving 14 months in jail for similar offences.

Defence lawyer Henry Sklarz said the two offences were random stops where Dickson made full admissions and cooperated with police.

“He was driving a work ute at the time for his father’s business,” he said.

Mr Sklarz said Dickson’s father was losing his vision and the accused was doing all his father’s work duties.

“His father relies on his son for the business and he’s also his primary carer,” he said.

“If he is jailed, his father will continue with the hardship of the business, a loss of income and will lose his son as a carer.

“His son is his only living child and family member.”

Dickson said he was an “idiot” for committing the offences and his driving was “impulsive”.

“He’s in a de-facto relationship with his partner who is half way through her pregnancy,” Mr Sklarz said.

Mr Sklarz asked Magistrate Anne Longden to consider a suspended term of imprisonment for Dickson’s sentence.

“There is great room for him to become more adult and he has excellent motivation with the law in the future,” he said.

However, Dickson’s defence could not convince Magistrate Longden to spare the accused prison time.

Magistrate Longden sentenced Dickson to eight months accumulative jail time with parole eligibilities.

“I’m concerned you were only recently released from prison and were involved in driving without a license,” she said.

“You say that your partner and father rely on you but you already have a child and you still offended.

“You’re at the end of the line”.