Magistrate Jennifer Tregent warned Epsom resident Frank Towers he risked going to jail if he continued to commit driving offences.

Mr Towers told Ms Tregent he was not sure if he had paid his court-imposed fines when applying for his licence to be returned.

“I’ve got a lot of other fines,” he said.

The court heard Mr Towers failed a preliminary breath test on Eaglehawk Road and refused to provide a secondary sample.  

He lost his licence for two years.

Prosecutor Senior Constable Tony Graham said Mr Towers had “had a lot of driving history” including driving while suspended and failing to comply with police.

Mr Towers said he had “come a long way” after a “long two years” without a licence.  

Ms Tregent said he needed to be “very careful” when drinking and said he would need to have an interlocker device attached to his car for six months.

“If you keep driving while suspended, you’ll go to jail,” she said.

Retiree Patrick Anthony Holden also applied to have his licence returned.

The court heard Mr Holden had lost his licence after returning a blood alcohol reading of 0.17.

Echuca asphalter Daniel Atkinson, 33, told the court he had been stupid when he lost his licence with a reading of 0.143.

He told the court VicRoads had reinstated his licence, which he lost interstate, before realising he needed to apply through the courts to have it returned.

“How can they do that?” Ms Tregent asked.

“They can’t.

“Unbelievable.”

 She said Mr Atkinson would face “hefty charges” if he returned to court.

Nicholas Kevin Fletcher, who lost his licence after returning a reading of 0.108, also had his licence returned.

Ms Tregent asked if he had been to jail, and Mr Fletcher said he had not.

“You’re heading that way,” she replied.

Mr Fletcher said “it was just stupid” for him to be behind the wheel.

“That’s probably an understatement,” Ms Tregent said. 

Mr Fletcher must use an interlock device.