Lancelot stopped on quest to “disregard” law

A Geraldton grandfather has avoided jail after fleeing the scene of a crash he caused while driving without a licence and being caught four more times driving after that while on bail, once blowing over the limit. Lancelot Arthur White, 74, was driving a Hyundai Getz on Railway Street in Bluff Point towards the intersection at North West Coastal Highway at 4.45pm on September 17 when he failed to give way to a Toyota Hilux driven by Jesse Harold who was travelling north. The vehicles collided causing the Hilux to spin and damage to its side and the front of the Getz. The Police prosecutor said the and witnesses stopped to see if the victim was ok, while one saw Mr White drive away and followed him to his home address and reported him to Police. White left the scene without stopping and giving his details to the other driver without reasonable cause, but no one was injured and the damage did not exceed $3,000. He was stopped by Police three more times within the next month and a half and blew a blood alcohol reading of 0.065g at 9.30am on October 21. He was sentenced in Geraldton Magistrates Court on Monday after being convicted on October 16 of failing to give way at a sign or line, being the driver of a vehicle involved in an incident where property was damaged but failing to stop as required to do so, failing to report the accident to police, three counts of no authority to drive as an alcohol offender and driving a motor vehicle on a public road with a blood alcohol content exceeding 0.05g. His Lawyer said White accepted the facts and understood the seriousness of the offences and position he was in and said he was driving his wife to work. During sentencing, Mr Miocevich said White had shown “continuous disregard” for the law and his offending had reached the stage of imprisonment. “You were stopped early in the morning with alcohol in his system...you have been picked up twice in one day and continued to drive. “You appeared in court on October 21 and given bail but proceeded to drive. You were picked up again the next day and showed a continuous disregard for the law. “You were disqualified for your drinking and were then involved in an accident. That should have sent signals that you weren’t fit to drive.” Mr Miocevich fined him a combined $1700 and $876.60 in court costs and sentenced him to a 9 month total sentence which he suspended for 12 months. “You’re over 70 and didn’t have a big record and have generally lived a law abiding lifestyle up until this point. “You need to change your ways if you want to avoid imprisonment.”