Dugan fined for speeding, loses licence
Louis Andrews
June 21, 2012 - 11:42AM
Prosecutors have dropped a suspended driving charge against Canberra Raider Josh Dugan, but the rugby league star has been fined $600 for speeding.
In the ACT Magistrates Court this morning the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions offered not to proceed with the suspended driving charge.
But Dugan pleaded guilty to travelling 100km/h in a 60km/h zone in August last year.
Magistrate David Mossop convicted the 22-year-old and fined him $600 plus court costs.
Dugan's licence is set to be suspended by the ACT Road Transport Authority due to accrued demerit points.
Outside the court, Dugan said he had made a mistake and wanted to put the incident behind him.
The more serious charge was dropped after eleventh-hour negotiations between Dugan's solicitor, Kamy Saeedi, and the DPP.
"Josh was never properly suspended from the outset, and we've managed to demonstrate that to the DPP and they accepted it," Mr Saeedi said.
The lawyer said the DPP made the right choice not to proceed.
In court, Mr Saeedi submitted that, but for the suspended driving charge, the speeding matter would most likely have been dealt with by an on-the-spot fine.
Mr Mossop agreed, and said the appropriate course of action was to treat the matter as if it was a minor traffic infringement.
Police spotted Dugan driving through the north Canberra suburb of Evatt in August last year.
When the car turned into William Webb Drive, police saw the car visibly speed up and estimated it was travelling "well in excess" of the posted speed limit of 60km/h.
An in-car device clocked Dugan at 100km/h.
The court heard Dugan was polite and cooperative with police after they pulled him over.
Dugan has one previous conviction for driving in a manner furious, reckless or dangerous.
At the time of the latest incident he held a probationary licence, giving him just two demerit points to lose.
Prosecutor Anthony Williamson said the speeding conviction would strip him of those points, and road authorities would again suspend him.
Dugan had initially pleaded not guilty to driving while suspended.
The RTA had suspended the footballer over an unpaid parking fine.
But, in his representations to the DPP, Mr Saeedi argued the RTA's notice of suspension was faulty, prompting prosecutors to abandon the charge.
