TikTok fail: P-plater films himself doing burn-outs at popular precinct

The videos, observed by police in May 2023, showed the Mepunga West teenager washing his Toyota HiLux ute before doing burnouts at Warrnambool's Price Street.

The ute carved up the grass, causing significant damage.

Then in a second video on June 28 that year the driver was seen entering a roundabout in Warrnambool's Artillery Crescent in the same ute.

He accelerated excessively, again losing traction and sliding sideways.

Warrnambool City Council provided an estimated damage bill of $2800 to rejuvenate the grassland at Price Street.

The driver was identified and arrested on August 22 that year.

The teenager told police he saw the same marks at the grassland so thought 'why not?'.

He said he initially thought it would be a good idea for a TikTok but "obviously not".

The man was refused diversion - a program provided for first-time offenders to avoid an accessible criminal record - in Warrnambool Magistrates Court on February 5, 2024.

Magistrate Gerard Lethbridge said the "hoonish" offending was "simply vandalism" and involved the unnecessary destruction of public property.

The teen appeared in the same court on March 12 where he pleaded guilty to wilful damage and two counts of losing traction.

Lawyer Kiernan Celestina, representing the man, urged the court not to suspend his client's licence.

He said the charges didn't carry a mandatory loss of licence, which would significantly impact his client's employment.

But the magistrate said having a licence was a privilege not a right.

"You lose that when you use it and abuse it," Mr Lethbridge said.

He said on two occasions the man got into his "rather large vehicle" and deliberately drove in a manner that was "potentially dangerous but certainly hoonish".

"And in one case you caused a very significant amount of damage to public property," he said.

"When public property is damaged it gives a sense of unease to the community... likewise, hoons screaming around roundabouts, doing donuts and burnouts and so forth, causes a lot of apprehension to many people in the community.

"There's also the added aspect that it's not unheard of for young drivers especially to lose control of vehicles in those situations and to have significant crashes."

Mr Lethbridge acknowledged a loss of licence would have "very significant consequences".

"But if you lose your job that's your fault," he said. "That's because you chose to do this."

The man was fined $1500 without conviction.

His licence was suspended for three months and he was also ordered to pay $2800 in compensation to Warrnambool City Council.

South Warrnambool residents have repeatedly raised concerns about hoon driving in the Price Street area.

In June 2023 a resident said the Mill side area had become "a practice track for hoon drivers".

"This is not the first time this damage has happened, in fact numerous times over the past several years there are idiots showing off their 'prowess' by tearing up the lawns," he said.

"This area as you no doubt are aware is a prime tourist walking track, (being an integral part of the Port Fairy Rail trail) and as such offers an appalling impression to any person walking or riding through this area."

Seven months earlier a resident said hoons were frequently decimating Jetty Flat oval and creating unruly noise on Price street.