Drive and you’ll go to jail ‘no buts or ifs’

A LOCAL rugby league player and father of two will be without a licence for five years after being warned there would be “no buts or ifs” about him going to jail should he continue to drive.

Malie Henry Tom was heard to have been nabbed by police driving while disqualified twice in a matter of months.

Tom pleaded guilty to the two charges of driving of a motor vehicle without a driver’s licence disqualified by a court order when he appeared in Ayr Magistrates Court this week.

The court heard it was the third instance in 12 months, Tom had been caught driving while disqualified.

Defence solicitor Adam Mussap said a suspended jail sentence would provide Tom with “clarity about should he offend any further”.

He said he warned Tom “there is no buts or ifs about” him going to jail if he continued to drive while disqualified.

Mr Mussap said the Cairns father of two was now working at Bur-del and played rugby league for the Burdekin Roosters.

Acting Magistrate Scott Luxton said Tom was showing a lack of regard for a court order by offending further.

“The concerning aspect is this is not the first time you have been before this court for an offence of this nature,” he said. “These offences are more serious because you are driving a motor vehicle in breach of an order that has been made by the court.”

Tom was sentenced to three months’ jail wholly suspended for 12 months and further disqualified from driving until August 2025.