Canberra playmaker Josh Dugan will be getting lifts to training for the rest of the NRL season after losing his licence for speeding.
The Raiders star fronted the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday to plead guilty to doing 100km/h in a 60km/h zone in Evatt, one of Canberra’s northern suburbs, last August.
On the plus side, the prosecution agreed to drop a second charge of driving on a suspended licence, conceding the 22-year-old not been properly informed of the suspension by the time he was nabbed by police.
But Dugan still loses his probationary licence on account of the demerit points fixed to the speeding charge, and also has to pay a $600 fine.
The fullback turned playmaker, wearing his trademark diamond earrings and a black suit, said outside the court he was relieved the saga was finally over.
“I made a mistake and you know, I’m just looking to put it behind me and move forward now,” he told reporters.
“It was just a one-off occasion and I’ve paid the price for it but I think I’m a lot smarter now and I think I’ve learnt my lesson.”
His lawyer Kamy Saeedi was pleased with the outcome, with prosecutors also downgrading the speeding charge from high-range to mid-range speeding.
Originally the police records estimated Dugan to have driven at 105km/h.
“It’s a great result for Joshua, ultimately there was nothing really remarkable about the matter – it was an exceeding of the speed limit,” Mr Saeedi said.
He added that without the questions over his suspended licence, the matter would have escaped the courts.
Magistrate David Mossop, who recorded a conviction, agreed the circumstances were unremarkable.
Raiders boss Don Furner was in court for moral support, having last escorted Dugan there in 2010, when he was disqualified for 15 months for reckless driving and driving on a suspended licence.
Dugan later had the disqualification conviction quashed.
Dugan is now on his way to Townsville, where the Raiders are due to play North Queensland on Saturday.