About 12.55pm on Tuesday, December 27, 2016, Ali was the driver of a car travelling north along the Hume Highway at Bowning. Police observed the vehicle was displaying a red P-plate. Police followed and observed Ali was unable to maintain his speed, so he was stopped and asked to produce his licence. He informed police he did not have his licence or any form of identification with him, but that he held a provisional one. 

He was asked to write down his details and hesitated before writing a name, birth date and address that was not his own. Police obtained his male passenger’s licence, which revealed he was the holder of a Victorian provisional licence.

Police asked Ali whether he had provided correct particulars, to which he said ‘yes’. He was asked whether he had any identification, to which he said no and emptied his pockets, which contained a credit card in his name. He first said it was his, then said it was his brother’s card. Ali informed police of his correct identity and was placed under arrest.

Magistrate Geraldine Beattie fined Ali $1900 and disqualified him from driving for three months.

Dylan John Hobby, 22, of Bywong, came before the court charged with possessing a prohibited drug. About 4.45pm on February 25, Hobby was driving west along a formed road in the Micalong camping ground. He was stopped by police and subjected to a random breath test, which returned a negative reading.

At the time, police were conducting a joint operation targeting illegal hunting, drug possession and alcohol related crime in the Wee Jasper area.

Hobby’s car was searched and police located one MDMA capsule underneath the front driver’s seat. Hobby said he was the owner of the capsule. He again admitted this during a recorded interview and said he had purchased it for his own consumption.

Magistrate Beattie fined Hobby $600.