Darryle Tailford, 25, of Sir Neville Howse Place, appeared in court last Monday for driving while disqualified on the Northern Distributor Road at 1.15pm on July 18, and was given a six-month good behaviour bond and had his licence disqualified for 12 months.

According to the police facts – which Tailford pleaded guilty to – he and a friend had been hunting on a property out of town and when the driver injured his ankle.

Tailford was represented by solicitor Nidal Abdi, who said his client had been in an area with no mobile reception when his friend injured himself, so Tailford drove them back to Orange.

“Mr Tailford instructs me he was doing everything in his power not to be behind the wheel of a car,” Mr Abdi said.

Magistrate Clare Farnan raised the issue of whether the injured passenger was too badly hurt to drive.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Beau Riley responded that if the injury was sufficiently serious Tailford would not have been charged in the first place.

Tailford had previously been disqualified from driving until 2023 for past offences, including a police pursuit in 2014.

Mr Abdi said an extra 20 years had been added to the earlier driving ban when he was given four habitual offender declarations, which are extensions of disqualification periods for repeat offenders.

Ms Farnan quashed the 20-year extension because habitual offender declarations have been removed under new sentencing guidelines for traffic offences, but issued a stern warning to Tailford.

“Fortunately there was a reason why you were driving on this occasion but it wasn’t an excuse,” Ms Farnan said

“You are still disqualified to 2023, until that date comes around don’t drive.

“Just because they have changed the law [for traffic offences] doesn’t mean you cannot go to jail.”

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