A teenager who was caught speeding three times in one day at separate points along the Hume Highway has pleaded guilty to six driving offences.
7News reports 19-year-old Jade Muscat was pulled over by police on three separate occasions on Saturday, April 12 in her black Jaguar F-Pace as she attempted to travel from Sydney to Melbourne, breaking multiple road rules in the process.
She’s now due to appear at Gundagai Local Court for sentencing on August 15, and police have reportedly requested her car be forfeited to the crown upon her conviction under section 245 of the Road Transport Act.
Under the Act, a vehicle is eligible for confiscation by the government if its driver commits a serious offence for a second time within five years.
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ABOVE: Image courtesy of 7News
The drama began when the teen, from Paddington in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, was issued with a speeding ticket after she was clocked travelling at more than 20km/h over the 110km/h limit on the Hume Highway at Gunning, in the NSW Southern Tablelands, at around 10:40am on April 12.
After continuing south on the Hume, Ms Muscat was again pulled over by highway patrol officers just over an hour later, after she was detected driving at 215km/h about 11:45am at Tumblong just south of Gundagai.
Police issued her with a court attendance notice for two offences – driving at a dangerous speed and exceeding speeds more than 45km/h as a green P-plater.
They suspended her licence, confiscated her number plates and issued her with a confiscation notice, which was affixed to her windscreen.
ABOVE: Jaguar F-Pace
But less than two hours later at about 1:30pm, police received a complaint about a black SUV without number plates weaving in and out of traffic and driving at excess speed while travelling south on the Hume near Little Billabong.
Police apprehended Ms Muscat after taking up a stationary position on the Hume Highway at Table Top, before taking her to Albury police station.
She was charged with a further five charges – drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous, Class A motor vehicle exceed speed more than 45 km/h, drive motor vehicle while licence suspended, operate vehicle during number-plate confiscation period, and tamper with number-plate confiscation notice.
Police later dropped one of the seven charges, which was issued during the second speeding incident – P2 exceed speed more than 45km/h – and Ms Muscat pleaded guilty to the six remaining charges during court hearings in Gundagai and Albury last month.
ABOVE: Jade Muscat via social media
Court documents obtained by 7News show Ms Muscat told police in Albury that she continued to drive because “she needed to get to Melbourne to see family” and “had no other means of getting there as police in Gundagai told her there were no trains from there”.
“Police formed the opinion that the accused had no regard for other people on the road and showed no remorse relating to her driving behaviour,” according to the documents, which stated the sequence of events occurred during fine, sunny weather on sealed, dry roads while traffic was “medium to heavy due to school holidays and families travelling”.
“Gundagai is a township with a 24-hour service centre, and a bus service that is available for travel if booked.”