Byron Green convicted of driving while disqualified, will spend six months off the road

Byron Green, 23, was charged with driving a motor vehicle with an illicit drug present in his system and driving while disqualified.

In Griffith Local Court on August 9, Green entered pleas of guilty to both charges.

In documents tendered to court, Green was driving three adults including a learner supervisor in a white Mitsubishi ute along Murrumbidgee Avenue at 4.06am on February 17.

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Police stopped him for a random breath test, which was positive. A secondary test at Griffith police station returned a negative reading before Green was given an oral fluid drug test.

The test returned a positive reading for cannabis and methamphetamine, which was sent for forensic examination. Green's licence was suspended.

Police later stopped Green on June 8 around 10.35am when he was driving a white Mitsubishi ute north-east on Ortella Street. In the ute were two passengers, including a fully-licensed driver in the passenger seat.

A police check revealed Green's licence was suspended until June 29.

Green's legal representative, Paul Keane, said his client was aware the court could send him to jail due to prior matters on his record.

"He accepts he should not have been driving," Mr Keane said.

Mr Keane told the court that Green had previously struggled with substance abuse problems but had been engaged with a number of community services to address the problem, including by getting secure accommodation.

He said Green had previously worked as an earth mover and was a qualified powder coater seeking work. Mr Keane said Green had completed the traffic offenders intervention course.

Magistrate Lisa Stapleton said the offences were aggravated as Green hadn't demonstrated he knew the rules of the road sufficiently.

"The public needs to be kept safe from people who haven't complied with the testing procedure," Ms Stapleton said.

Ms Stapleton said Green should have known he was disqualified from driving due to being stopped by police earlier.

Green was convicted of driving with an illicit substance in his system and disqualified from driving for six months from August 9.

For driving while disqualified, Ms Stapleton convicted Green, and sentenced him to a two-year supervised community corrections order and disqualified him from driving for six months from August 9.

She cautioned Green to stay off the road.

"By the time you get to your third offence of driving while disqualified you're looking at jail," Ms Stapleton said.

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