Man caught driving without bonnet and driver's seat now without car
Officers pulled over the 64-year-old Narre Warren South man on the afternoon of Monday, July 21 in Cranbourne North when they noticed it was missing its bonnet.
Upon looking inside, officers noticed 'strange seat cushions', and soon realised the car had had its front seats removed.
CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. Supplied Credit: CarExpert Supplied Credit: CarExpert
The driver had instead been sitting on a plastic garden chair, and allegedly acknowledged he knew the car wasn't roadworthy.
His excuse? He allegedly claimed he was heading to get some parts. Hopefully a bonnet and front seats were on his shopping list…
Driving without those crucial items netted him a defect notice, and Victoria Police says he's expected to be charged on summons with traffic offences, though it hasn't published a full list.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
3 hours ago
- ABC News
New Victorian police chief Mike Bush says people should be free to protest without permits
Victoria does not need a permit system for protests, says the state's new top cop, who concedes there has been a breakdown in public confidence in police. In his first wide-ranging interview since joining Victoria Police, Chief Commissioner Mike Bush acknowledged Victorians felt less safe and declared "there's too much crime out there". The chief commissioner's arrival comes at a tumultuous time for Victoria Police, with crime at its highest rate since 2016 and an ongoing tobacco war that has seen 140 firebombings. Public confidence has also been at a 14-year low, with just 61.9 per cent of people having confidence in the police, far short of the force's 82 per cent target. "The data would definitely say that, and we've got to accept what the data tells us," Mr Bush said of the breakdown in public confidence. "We must be operationally excellent — whether we're preventing crime, responding to crime, investigating crime, resolving crime." Mr Bush is a 42-year police veteran of New Zealand Police. He ultimately became commissioner of the force, implementing a landmark crime-prevention policing model that included diversions and warnings for low-level offending. "We are, right now, considering our whole policing approach. I'm very keen to bring those things in, that's what the public deserve," he said. "Prevention is not a soft way of policing, it's just the right way, but we've got to do everything else too so responding is important, investigating and resolving is important. It's about getting the order right." The new chief commissioner told the ABC he did not support a permit system for protests, a measure debated in Victoria and already operating in New South Wales. "We've had a look to see if it will be effective, where we've landed is that it's not worth bringing in," he said. There has been significant public debate about protests in recent years, from the predominantly peaceful weekly marches in support of the Palestine community to anti-lockdown rallies and violent Land Forces protests. Shocked diners also watched on as protesters converged on an Israeli restaurant in Melbourne's CBD earlier this month, with tables and chairs thrown and a glass door damaged. Mr Bush addressed what he described as "polarisation" in the community, saying those with "an extreme view one way or the other are getting more extreme". He said the line between activism and extremism was "quite possibly" being blurred. "If we talk about public protest, absolutely," he said. "If you feel strongly about something, we are there to keep you safe while you demonstrate that. "But what we don't want is extreme behaviour that challenges the safety of other people — not just their physical safety but their feelings of safety. Mr Bush added: "It's only a minority but we should not tolerate the behaviour of that minority." Victoria Police has received independent legal advice that indicated the controversial chant "Death to the IDF" was not an offence. Mr Bush was also unequivocal when asked by the ABC if the chant amounted to hate speech. "No," he said. It came after former Victorian governor Linda Dessau called the phrase "totally unacceptable" and "hate speech" and Premier Jacinta Allan deferred to police when asked last week whether the chant was illegal. Under pressure to act on youth crime, the Allan government earlier this year announced a law reform package that included tougher bail conditions and a ban on machetes. It has also backed down from its pledge to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 — a move Mr Bush's predecessor opposed. Mr Bush would not say whether he supported raising the age but acknowledged there were limits to prevention-led policing. "The bottom line is, we don't want to see young people in prison, but some need to be there to protect the public," he said. The latest crime statistics show there were an extra 92,000 offences recorded in Victoria in the year to March, a 17 per cent jump from the same period last year. Youth crime also spiked to its highest level since records began, with children over-represented in home invasions and aggravated burglaries. Mr Bush was also asked about the state's ongoing tobacco wars, which has seen 140 firebombings by Middle Eastern crime factions trying to seize control of the illicit tobacco and vape market. He would not say whether it was a mistake for the federal government to have deported alleged tobacco kingpin, Kazem Hamad, who his own force has identified as being linked to a deadly arson which mistakenly killed Melbourne woman Katie Tangey. Police believe Hamad, who is now believed to be in Baghdad, is a key player in the tobacco wars who has orchestrated firebombings on his rivals or shop owners who refuse to pay exorbitant extortion fees. "I'm not going to talk about individuals," Mr Bush said. "But I will say on that subject that we have excellent international law enforcement, collaboration and cooperation and we use those partnerships and networks when we don't have a presence overseas." Mr Bush acknowledged tensions were high not only in the community but also among his own rank-and-file officers who have reported low-levels of morale and high rates of attrition. The rank-and-file made their displeasure known in February when officers passed a resounding no-confidence vote in former Chief Commissioner Shane Patton, who ultimately resigned. It followed a protracted pay dispute between the Police Association of Victoria and the Victorian government. Mr Bush said senior police leaders had to "own" the mood among his members. "We've also got to remove things that get in their way, the things that frustrate them, bureaucracy, too much paperwork," he said. He committed to upgrading technology for his officers in the next 12 months, who he said were being hamstrung by red tape. "I'm not going to be embarrassed to say that the New Zealand police are a long way ahead," he said. "We've agreed to partner up to actually not just learn from them, but they're quite prepared to share all of their platforms and technology with us." The Police Association of Victoria has previously said its members have a stake in Mr Bush's success. "He's regarded as a leader who listens to his troops, who connects with community, and has been known to prioritise prevention as the greatest weapon against crime," secretary Wayne Gatt said. "We think, given the challenges we currently face in policing in this state, that these virtues will be invaluable in the fight to win back Victoria."
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Sky News AU
Family's emotional plea after horror fatal crash in Wantirna South, Melbourne
The parents of a two-year-old boy who was injured in a horror collision that killed his grandparents have shared their heartache and issued an emotional plea for change. The boy and his grandparents were struck by an out-of-control Toyota Yaris that mounted a kerb in Wantirna South, in Melbourne's east, on July 10. The 59-year-old woma died at the scene, and the 60-year-old man later died in hospital. Their grandson was treated in hospital before being released. The driver of the Toyota, a 91-year-old woman, has been released by police without charge. Speaking to 7NEWS, the boy's mother Vicky said his grandparents had recently moved to Australia to help look after him. 'I totally lost the ones who loved me the most in the world,' she said. 'I was just thinking, 'Why (are) you always pushing me to have a child, I don't want it', but now I deeply and truly understand. 'My son Carl - because of him, I need to keep going.' Carl's parents are now calling for the state government to amend laws concerning elderly drivers. 'Victorian legislation is way behind,' Vicky's partner Ethan said. 'You can't guarantee everyone can still drive when they are 70, 80, 90 years old.' A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed to NewsWire the 91-year-old was interviewed by Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives on Friday. 'She was released pending further inquiries.' Victoria has no elderly-age tests for driving. The driver at Wantirna South suffered minor injuries and it is unclear if she had a medical event at the time. Drivers aged over 85 in NSW require an annual medical test, and must do a driving test every two years. In Queensland, drivers aged over 75 need to carry a current medical certificate when they are behind the wheel. Over the age of 80 in WA, drivers need to have a medical assessment each year before they renew their licence. In the wake of the fatal crash, Acting Premier Ben Carroll said the incident put retesting elderly drivers back on the agenda. 'We do need to look at this,' he said earlier this month. 'In relation to people who are elderly and driving, I think it is a valid question … around testing. 'Having said that, there will be a thorough investigation underway and we will wait for that to run its course.' Originally published as Family's emotional plea after horror fatal crash in Wantirna South, Melbourne
7NEWS
3 days ago
- 7NEWS
Man jailed for 15 years after repeatedly raping seven-year-old girl at wife's daycare centre in Point Cook, Victoria
WARNING: Confronting content The husband of a daycare owner has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for repeatedly raping a seven-year-old girl at his wife's centre. The now 50-year-old offender was found guilty of repeatedly sexually assaulting the child between February 2021 and August 2022 at their home-turned centre in Point Cook, southwest of Melbourne. The girl had been attending the centre since she was two years old. The offences took place in the lounge room during the day, while she was in after-school care and on weekends. The abuse came to light in November 2022, when the girl complained to her older sister she was experiencing pain in her genital area. She was taken to a doctor the following day and disclosed what had happened. Following the consultation, she was then referred to the Royal Children's Hospital, and Victoria Police were contacted. In her police interview, the girl said she felt 'scared' and 'tricked' by the man, who would 'ask if she liked it and had a weird smile'. Police obtained CCTV footage from the lounge room, but no recordings from the period when the offences occurred had been retained. Since the offending, the young girl suffers from nightmares, is afraid of the dark, and insists on having a camera in her room for a sense of safety, the Herald Sun reported. She also continues to experience difficulties at school. Her mother told the court she now lives in a constant state of guilt and emotional pain. 'I blame myself for what happened … The anxiety, the helplessness, the fear that I failed her is like running a marathon I never signed up for. And it never ends,' said the mother, according to the Herald Sun. 'These are not things a child should ever have to worry about or fear.' The masthead reported the offender emigrated from the Philippines in 2002. It remains unclear whether he held a Working With Children Check, how many other children were enrolled at the centre, and if their families have been informed. Judge Harper described the man's actions as 'abhorrent'. 'Your victim was only seven years of age. Your actions were abhorrent and as conceded by your counsel, the offending was humiliating, demeaning and objectifying,' she said. 'You breached the trust of your victim and her family and led her to believe your wife knew of the offending so it was alright. 'Your offending was opportunistic, committed on occasions where your wife was not in the vicinity.' He was sentenced to a total of 15 years and six months in prison, with a non-parole period of nine years and nine months. He must complete a sex offenders treatment program and will remain on the sex offenders register for life. A Department of Education spokesperson said the family daycare has been banned to eliminate further risk to children's safety.
