DAD PLEADS FOR BAIL

Accused claimed he paid cash for car

A GEELONG dad will spend the weekend behind bars after he was allegedly caught driving a stolen car through Whittington yesterday morning.

Bryan Gibson appeared in custody at Geelong Magistrates’ Court yesterday as he sought bail after being charged with car theft and driving while disqualified.

Prosecutor Senior Constable David Vanderpol told the court Mr Gibson was behind the wheel of a Nissan Navara towing a trailer that was pulled over on Coppards Rd about 5.30am yesterday.

A police check of the vehicle’s registration plates revealed it had been reported stolen.

Sen-Constable Vanderpol said the alleged thief claimed to officers he had bought the car with $4000 cash last Sunday.

The court heard Mr Gibson had been unable to produce any receipts to prove the purchase, while Sen-Constable Vanderpol said a check of the carsales website indicated the Navara model was typically worth far more than $4000.

Police opposed Mr Gibson’s bail application yesterday, cit- ing concerns that he was an unacceptable risk of committing further offences.

Representing himself from the dock, Mr Gibson told the court he was a fencer and in the process of relocating to Bendigo.

He pleaded with Magistrate John Lesser to release him from custody, claiming the apparent seller of the car would have the paperwork to prove he bought it.

“I’ve never had a stolen car in my whole entire life,” Mr Gibson said.

“There’s no way I would’ve had all my stuff in the trailer … if I’d known it (the car) was stolen.”

Mr Lesser adjourned the

bail application to Monday to allow Mr Gibson time to produce paperwork proving his claim.