Bradley Kevin Maguire, 52, of Glenroi Avenue, faced Orange Local Court via video link on Monday for driving an unregistered and uninsured car with unauthorised number plates while he was disqualified.

Maguire was also charged for having an animal in his lap at the time, a white bull mastiff.

Police said at about 8.45am on October 12, Maguire was driving a gold Ford Falcon eastbound along Churchill Avenue when officers travelling the opposite way spotted him.

Maguire told police he was picking up methadone. 

Further investigations found the Falcon’s registration expired in October 2017 and the plates belonged to a red Holden Commodore. 

Maguire was first issued with a licence in December 1986, but by November 1992 it was cancelled.

Police said between the date of cancellation and expiry, Maguire was charged eight times with driving with a cancelled licence and was disqualified, prompting 17 drive disqualified charges in the time since. 

Solicitor Matthew Tedeschi said if his client had lasted until May next year, he could have wiped 15 years’-worth of disqualification time.

“He will be able to reduce it significantly if he can demonstrate two years’ [good behaviour] without a licence,” he said. 

“There were 11 years with nothing because his partner had a licence.”

Maguire addressed magistrate David Day, saying he now recognised a licence as a privilege, not a right, and Mr Day said he was a slow learner. 

“When my children were born, they didn’t have a licence in their hands,” Mr Day said. 

Mr Day sentenced Maguire to 12 months’ jail with a non-parole period of six months to ensure he was supervised for a lengthy period. 

He also added 12 months’ disqualification, meaning Maguire will not be able to apply for a licence until May 2034.