Hit-and-run driver lodges his registration plate into a parked car before speeding off – making it VERY easy for police to track him down
- Benjamin Cochrane, 26, from Bray Park, Queensland, faced court this week
- He reversed into a parked car in January, leaving his rego plate lodged in the car
- The plumber pleaded guilty and was fined $500 with no conviction recorded
A hit-and-run driver who accidentally lodged his registration plate into a parked car before speeding off has been fined $500.
Benjamin Cochrane, 26, from Bray Park, Queensland, this week pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to provide his particulars at Pine Rivers Magistrates Court.
The court heard witnesses saw a man driving a white Ford ute plough into a parked car on January 18 this year, Courier Mail reports.
Upon impact, the ute left its registration plate embedded in the Toyota sedan.
Benjamin Cochrane (pictured), 26, from Bray Park, Queensland, this week pleaded guilty to one charge of failing to provide his particulars at Pine Rivers Magistrates Court
The ute driver reversed and sped away from the Lavarack Road scene but police officers tracked Cochrane down as the owner of the vehicle within hours using the number plate details.
The magistrate fined Cochrane $500 and no conviction was recorded.
Cochrane’s defence lawyer said the collision occurred when he took his eyes off the road for a brief second and he drove off because he panicked.
He was initially charged with drink driving and failing to provide a breath test, which were both later dropped.
The court heard he subsequently lost his job as a plumber because his license was temporarily disqualified while those charges were pending.
Cochrane reversed and sped away down Lavarack Road (pictured) after hitting the parked vehicle