Banned driver caught again
The serial drink driver who knocked down and killed schoolgirl Jess Meehan has made a no-show at court to face his latest driving charges which follow multiple drink driving convictions.
Mitchell William Donald Walsh, who used to be known as Mitchell Walsh McDonald, had already entered an endorsed plea of guilty to a charge of driving without authority when a magistrate at his last court date directed that he attend today.
But his lawyer today told the court his client was not going to appear and was not aware of the court appointment because he had not received the proper notice. The case was adjourned for two weeks.
His latest offence follows a record that has been described in court as "shocking", including a traffic collision that resulted in the death of a 10-year-old girl.
Walsh had a blood alcohol reading of 0.165 when he knocked over Jess Meehan after she rode into his path in Clarkson in 2003.
He was found not guilty of dangerous driving causing death after arguing that even sober he could not have avoided the collision which saw Jess die from her injuries two days later.
Today, he was due to face his seventh driving without a licence charge.
Walsh's chronic driving offending also includes four instances of driving with a blood alcohol reading in excess of 0.08, and six offences of driving while under suspension - four of which occurred on the same day.
Last August, he admitted driving with a blood alcohol reading of 0.103 and in breach of an extraordinary driver's licence that was granted to him 10 months earlier for his work.
He was fined $2850, had his extraordinary licence cancelled and his regular licence disqualified for a further two years.
