Australian actor Vince Colosimo wants to get under $65,215 in unpaid fines due to “special circumstances” under which he is undergoing therapy for his mental health.
The Wog Boy Forever star appeared in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday via video link where she was represented by top side Julia Munster.
Colosimo is accused of piling up a whopping debt 169 traffic fines from 2012 while disqualified from driving.
His plan to avoid paying back the fines comes when the troubled actor was spotted riding his bike in Melbourne on Saturday.
Colosimo was photographed smoking a cigarette as he zipped down the bike lanes in a black hoodie, dark jeans and sunglasses.
Australian actor Vince Colosimo (pictured) received 169 traffic fines while disqualified from driving
The troubled actor was spotted riding his bike in Melbourne on Saturday
He was photographed smoking a cigarette as he zipped down the bike lanes in a black hoodie, dark jeans and sunglasses
Victoria has applied for an enforcement order against Colosimo, which would give agents the power to search and seize his property or vehicles in order to sell and settle outstanding debts.
Ms Munster told the court she had only recently received payment from Colosimo to represent him in court on the case.
The veteran lawyer told magistrate Guillaume Bailin she needed more time to build Colosimo’s case, which she said would revolve around the actor proving he had legitimate “special circumstances” that explained how the debt arose and why he didn’t have to pay for it. complete.
Ms Munster said she would make the application under section 165 of the Fines Reform Act, which if successful would allow the magistrate to commute the guilt to jail, community service or dump it altogether.
“These are important cases with significant cases of significant magnitude,” she told the court.
“Mr. Colosimo makes arrangements to get advice and really put himself in the best possible position.”
Ms Munster said Colosimo had already “started the process” of addressing his issues.
“He works very hard to put himself in the best possible position,” she repeated.
In October, Colosimo embarrassingly had to win the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, running down an avenue trying to avoid a media pack.
Colosimo had pleaded guilty to drugs and driving without a license and not giving his real name to police.
The 2021 ugly incident during Melbourne’s harsh Covid-19 lockdowns saw him again convicted and fined, adding another $2,500 to his growing number of fines.
In an astonishing admission, the magistrate said at that hearing that she feared Colosimo would simply ignore the fine she had sentenced him to pay.
“I don’t have much faith that he’s going to pay,” she said before handing down her sentence.
Prosecutors had asked that Colosimo be jailed because of his shocking driving history, including multiple convictions for driving without a license and a previous conviction for driving under the influence of drugs.
“Nothing less than imprisonment will suffice,” prosecutor Bianca Moleta insisted at the time.
Vince Colosimo claims he sought help while trying to get off thousands of dollars in fines
The court heard that Colosimo had managed to get fined repeatedly for traffic violations when he never actually had a driver’s license.
The news of the unpaid fines seemed to come as a shock to both Colosimo and his then-lawyer George Vassis, who quickly turned to address his client sitting behind him.
Prosecutor Bianca Moleta told the court that Colosimo had again lost his license twice due to demerit points, while he was disqualified for fines imposed on him in recent years while his license was revoked.
“While he has not been charged, that is a reflection of the fact that the Traffic Camera Office essentially does not communicate with Victoria Police, but those are included in his history of demerit points after his driver’s license was revoked,” she said.
Colosimo assured the magistrate that he had sought treatment for his drug problems but never completed a full program.
The actor spoke directly to Ms Trumble to tell her that he had also sought help from aid workers.
“I’ve seen a lot of counselors in my day,” he said from his seat in the courtroom.
Upon leaving court, Colosimo refused to discuss how he had dealt with his criminal ways.
Best known in Australia for playing underworld mobster Alphonse Gangitano and Chopper’s Neville ‘No Cash’ Bartos, the court heard that Colosimo had now learned from his mistakes.
In 2017, Colosimo’s was warned he would face a prison sentence after being caught driving while suspended for the third time – this time slammed into ice.
Magistrate David Starvaggi told Colosimo that he should not have been driving on the road and that driving under the influence of drugs was a fundamental issue that “even a preschool child could understand.”
“You’re building a nice piece of history for yourself here,” he said.
“You risk a prison sentence… coming back here for the fourth time won’t be pretty.”
Colosimo will return to court in July.