Traffic offender told 'pay fines or go to prison'

A 45-year-old man faces 200 days in prison or paying upwards of $9,000 in traffic fines.

Sean Mallory appeared in Magistrates’ Court this morning to face charges of no third party insurance, unlicensed vehicle, failing to stop and fraudulently altering traffic documents.

He admitted the offences, which happened on December 13 and February 20, and 21.

Mallory was fined a total of $7,650 for those offences.

The court also heard he had unpaid traffic fines dating back to 2008.

Mallory told the court his total was $2,050 and asked for time to pay.

But Magistrate Khamisi Tokunbo told him he had to pay all the fines today or serve 200 days in jail for the new offences and 100 for the old offences.

The time would be served concurrently.

Mallory then told the magistrate he was “only human” and that he was working on getting his life together.

He said he had a new apartment “overlooking the water” and didn’t want to be “thrown to the wolves”.

But Mr Tokunbo ordered the fines be paid immediately.

Mallory then asked if there was anything he could do to change the Magistrates’ mind.

Mr Tokunbo told him no.

The defendant must pay the fines today before he is released from custody or serve time in prison.