Geraldton man fined nearly $4000 for only doing one hour of community service

A Geraldton father has copped nearly $4000 in fines after he was sentenced to community service and failed to complete it. The 39-year-old was ordered to complete 60 hours of community work after he was convicted of drink-driving in an unlicensed vehicle without a licence. But Justin Andrew Jacobson was back in Geraldton Magistrate’s Court last Thursday where he pleaded guilty to three new charges of breaching a community order. Describing Jacobson’s compliance as “very poor”, a community corrections officer told the court he had completed just one hour of the work required. Magistrate Chris Miocevich said the minimum fines he could impose were “fairly hefty” before he re-sentenced Jacobson on all matters. He was fined $3925.90 for the driving offences and breaching the community order, including court costs, $2100 for driving under the influence, $1000 for no authority to drive, $200 for driving an unlicensed vehicle and $400 for three counts of breaching a community order.