Vince Colosimo to fight allegations he is a road menace who ran up $65,215 in traffic fines
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Australian actor Vince Colosimo is set to challenge charges that he received 169 traffic fines while disqualified from driving.
The Wog Boy Forever star is accused of collecting a whopping $65,215 in unpaid fines dating back to 2012.
On Wednesday, Colosimo was forced to make an embarrassing exit from the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, dashing down an avenue in an attempt to evade a media package.
Colosimo had pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of drugs and without a license and had not given his real name to the police.
The ugly 2021 incident during the harsh Covid-19 lockdowns in Melbourne saw him convicted and fined again, adding another $2,500 to his growing number of fines.
Actor Vince Colosimo is chased by reporters in Melbourne’s William Street after walking off court on Wednesday with another fine
Vince Colosimo awaits Wednesday in line with the rest of the alleged crooks outside the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court
Colosimo (right) and Nick Giannopoulos at the Sydney Premiere of Wog Boys Forever last month
Film and legal sources close to Colosimo have told Daily Mail Australia that the star disputed the number and total dollar value of the fines he allegedly incurred.
“I don’t even think it’s possible to get that many fines… it sounds extraordinarily high to get so many fines,” said a source.
Colosimo had been in court over his highly publicized drink-driving charge, posing as his twin brother when he was stopped by police.
The news of the unpaid fines seemed to come as a shock to both Colosimo and his attorney George Vassis, who turned quickly to address his client who was sitting behind him.
Prosecutor Bianca Moleta told the court that Colosimo had again lost his driver’s license twice due to demerit points, while being disqualified from fines imposed on him in recent years while his driver’s license was revoked.
“While he was not charged, that is a reflection of the fact that the Traffic Camera Agency does not essentially communicate with the Victoria Police, but those are recorded in his demerit history after his driver’s license was revoked,” she said.
A source told Daily Mail Australia Colosimo claimed he did not incur the traffic fines himself for loaning his Peugeot to a ‘mate’.
Colosimo and his legal team are said to be processing the fines to determine not only how they accumulated, but also who may have been behind the wheel and when.
Vince Colosimo speaks to a man on Wednesday as he enters court
Colosimo escapes the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in pursuit of reporters
On Wednesday, Colosimo’s lawyer described his client as a devoted family man, who lived with his 19-year-old daughter and had an 8-year-old son.
“He takes his parental role very seriously, he is deeply ashamed,” said Mr Vassis.
The tension of Colosimo’s ongoing legal troubles takes a dramatic toll on his young family.
“Eventually everyone has kids and family and you wouldn’t enjoy what Vince and his family are going through,” a source said.
Ms Moleta said Colosimo had not completed any form to indicate that he had not been behind the wheel for the traffic offences.
“It is aggravating because there has been a total disregard for his unlicensed status,” she told the court on Wednesday.
Ms Moleta had urged the magistrate to at least place Colosimo under the control of the court through a community correction order, which would ensure he had completed drug and driver training.
Although Colosimo admitted that he had spent some time in a South Australian rehabilitation clinic, he had not completed the program due to ‘work commitments’.
A source told Daily Mail Australia that Colosimo had taken serious steps to tackle his use of illegal drugs.
The court was presented with a bundle of references showing the recent good character of Colosimo.
Colosimo hangs his head as he queues for Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday
Vince Colosimo starred as Alphonse Gangitano in the first and best Underbelly TV series
Vince Colosimo collaborated with Leonardo DiCaprio on Body of Lies. Sources claim the Aussie hasn’t done herself any favors
The mystery surrounds how long Colosimo could fund a legal challenge against the fines while fending off a possible jail term if his drug driving ban were challenged.
While hot off the back of two movies, the actor has previously found himself working on construction sites to make ends meet.
On Thursday, Victoria Police spokeswoman Sergeant Megan Stefanec declined to rule out a possible appeal against Colosimo’s latest sentence.
“We cannot predict whether an appeal will be considered,” she told the Daily Mail Australia on Thursday.
A decision on any appeal is likely to be made in the coming days, which would result in a clash with the County Court of Victoria sometime next year.
Colosimo is more concerned about the revelations that the Victoria Police Department is requesting an arrest warrant for the unpaid fines.
The court heard that Colosimo blames his buddy for incurring the lion’s share of the fines.
It is clear that Colosimo further claims that most of the reports for the alleged breaches were sent to old addresses after several relocations and Covid-19 outages at Vicroads.
In March, former WAG Nadia Bartel was fined $1100 after she was caught driving while suspended and failed to update her address at Vicroads.
The fashion designer told police that she had moved home in December 2010 and was unaware that her driver’s license had been revoked.
The letter went to the house she previously shared with ex-husband Jimmy Bartel.