Ice drive costly for Colosimo
Underbelly star ‘on path to recovery’
UNDERBELLY star Vince Colosimo has been spared jail despite admitting driving high on the drug ice for a second time while having more than $65,000 in unpaid fines. On Wednesday Melbourne Magistrate Olivia Trumble told the troubled actor to pull his head “out of the sand” before handing him a $2500 fine as he faced court for the fourth time on driving offences.
Prosecutors argued Colosimo, 55, should be jailed for his latest offending, noting he had more than 160 outstanding fines amounting to $65,215.
But Ms Trumble said it had been five years since the actor, famous for his role as gangland boss Alphonse Gangitano in the Underbelly series, had last fronted court and he was on the path to recovery.
“To your credit it would seem you’re back on a good path . . . (and) sometimes on those journeys we fail,” she said.
C o l o s i m o , who pleaded guilty to three charges including drug driving, driving while unlicensed and providing a false name to police, refused to comment as he left court.
On April 3 last year, he was pulled over in his silver Peugeot on St Kilda Rd when police noticed his car was registered to an unlicensed driver.
The actor told officers he did not have his licence on him but that he was Anthony Colosimo and he had a twin brother.
But he came clean after police threatened to arrest him if he did not provide the correct details, telling them he had lost his licence some months earlier.
A roadside drug test came back positive and Colosimo admitted smoking a joint a few days previously.
He said he had also used other drugs – later found to be methamphetamine – but did not know what they were.
In 2017, his licence was disqualified after he tested positive for ice while driving and he still had not applied for a new one by last year.
Ms Trumble said it was “pretty foolish” the actor had not bothered sorting out a new licence before getting behind the wheel.
His lawyer, George Vassis, said his client was “deeply embarrassed” by his latest transgression but had learnt from his mistakes.
Colosimo was driving a short distance to his mother’s home to celebrate Easter at the time of the incident, Mr Vassis said.
Ms Trumble told Colosimo to sort out a payment plan for his outstanding fines before handing him a $2500 penalty with conviction.
He was also banned from driving for 16 months.