A BENDIGO man has lost his licence for three years after he crashed into a house, causing more than $30,000 in damage.
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Mark Waycott, 37, appeared in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court this week where he pleaded guilty to charges including careless driving.
The court heard on July 6 last year, Waycott was driving a gold Toyota Camry sedan along Homestead Road in Berwick, in Melbourne's south-east.
Waycott looked down to retrieve a cigarette lighter when his vehicle veered to the right and collided with a parked car.
The car then came up onto the nature strip and collided with a house, causing damage valued at $33,245.79.
Waycott was tested for drugs and alcohol, although there were no illicit substances in his system. His licence was suspended at the time of the offending.
Waycott also pleaded guilty to stealing medication from a Bendigo chemist on November 27.
The 37-year-old filled a prescription from the Mitchell Street store, before tipping the medication into his bag, discarding the packaging, and leaving without paying.
Defence lawyer Elly Hayes-Childs told the court Waycott did not have money for the medication at the time of the theft, although he returned to the store a month later to pay.
Read more court: Bendigo drug dealer pleads guilty to handling stolen goods offences
Ms Hayes-Childs said the driving incident was a momentary lapse of concentration that had no aggravating features like drugs or alcohol.
The defence lawyer said Waycott's licence had been cancelled in 2019 on medical grounds as a result of his epilepsy.
Magistrate Angela Bolger said the collision was "extraordinarily serious" and among the "worst examples of driving you could imagine".
Ms Bolger convicted and sentenced Waycott to a 12-month community corrections order, with a requirement to complete a road safety awareness program.
Waycott's licence was also cancelled and he was disqualified from driving for three years.
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