LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
CEO’S 123KM/H IN 50 ZONE
A GOLD Coast businessman once dubbed the city’s “highest profile hoon” has pleaded guilty to driving almost twoand-a-half times the speed limit in a British supercar.
Adam Hargraves, 47, pleaded guilty in the Southport Magistrates Court yesterday to driving at 123km/h in a 50km/h zone.
The founder and CEO of Robina-based company Localsearch did not appear in court and was represented by defence lawyer Joe Wicking, of Howden Saggers Lawyers.
Hargraves was caught speeding near Robina Town Centre on December 10 last year in a McLaren sports car.
Magistrate Pamela Dowse fined Hargraves $1100. He was also disqualified from driving for six months and lost eight demerit points.
Hargraves has appeared before the courts for a slew of traffic-related matters in the past.
After having his licence suspended in 2005, he posed for photos next to his $300,000 jet black Porsche 911 with numberplates that read “IM LATE”.
“I’ve never had an accident, I’ve never injured anybody,’’ he told reporters at the time.
“My highest priority is the safety of myself and others around me. I don’t want to die, that’s not the way I drive.
“Every ‘K’ over is not a killer, but a revenue raiser for the Queensland Government.’’
In 2010 Hargraves and business partner Daniel Aran Stoten were jailed for six-and-a-half years for avoiding more than $2 million in tax. They were arrested and charged as part of the high-profile tax investigation Operation Wickenby.
Their sentence was reduced to five years on appeal.
The pair were shareholders in Broadbeachbased Phone Directories Company (PDC).
Hargraves kept a relatively low profile until May this year when he bought a lavish $2.296 million home at Ashmore.
The vast six-bedroom, seven-bathroom home is on 1244sqm of riverfront land and features its own jetty, jet ski docks, library with fireplace, gym, 10seat theatre and separate self-contained apartment.
Hargraves also races regularly in a V8 Mazda 3 complete with Localseach sponsorship stickers for Norwell-based Australian motor racing team MARC Cars Australia.