Ex-MP accused of driving without licence

A former federal MP charged with driving while on a suspended license has claimed his multiple fines and “notice to choose” letters were sent to the wrong address.

Andrew Charles Laming, the former LNP member for the federal seat of Bowman in South East Queensland, was due to be sentenced on the driving charge when he dialled into Cleveland Magistrates Court on Monday.

But the matter was put off due to a sudden issue being raised by the court’s police prosecutor Sergeant Angela Tetley.

“I know him too well from the community in this area, Your Honour,” Sergeant Tetley told magistrate Deborah Vasta.

“Not at a personal level but as my occupation as a police officer.”

Another prosecutor was due to handle Mr Laming’s matter but had called in sick.

In a further complication, the court was told police had not received Dr Laming’s submission, which had been sent through to courthouse staff earlier in the day.

Ms Vasta noted it would be helpful for police to consider the submission, as it was “a very good” submission.

The case will return to court on July 15.

Dr Laming is facing a single charge of driving without a licence – demerit point suspended.

Police allege in court documents Dr Laming drove on Old Cleveland Rd East in Birkdale on May 11 and at the time was “disqualified from holding or obtaining a drivers licence” because of the “allocation of demerit points”.

In an affidavit filed to the court, Dr Laming claimed he provided the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) with an updated address in Cairns in April last year, due to his employment.

“Without my knowledge, DTMR correspondence to the address was returned to sender on six occasions,” Dr Laming alleges in his affidavit, seen by NewsWire.

“These included four infringements, notice to choose and license suspension.”

In his affidavit Dr Laming states DTMR was notified by return mail he had “left address” in October 2023.

“At all times, DTMR possessed my correct email and phone contact details,” he states.

In his affidavit, Dr Laming claims he paid each notice from the State Penalties Enforcement Registry (SPER) and an additional $520 in enforcement fees after SPER forwarded the notices to his other address in the Redlands region.

Dr Laming continues by stating he returned to this address on August 18, 2023 but “failed to update this with DTMR, (and) as a result the accumulation of demerit points – notice to choose defaulted to licence suspension were not received by me.”

“I learned for the first time of my licence suspension on May 11, 2024 when I was stopped by Queensland police in Birkdale,” he states in his affidavit.

“I take full responsibility for infringements and failing to (update) my correct home address after my six month employment period in Cairns.

“I believe this outcome was avoidable with rudimentary data sharing between SPER and DTMR, acting on information that I had ‘left address’ in October 2023, or the notice to choose being successfully returned to sender.

“I have been denied any opportunity to choose good behaviour and denied notice that I was no longer licensed to operate a motor vehicle from April 2024.”

Following a prior court appearance in June, he issued a statement where he said he did not receive any correspondence regarding the charge, as his initial notice was returned to the sender.

Dr Laming told NewsWire he could not comment directly on the case, as it was still before the court.

Dr Laming was first elected to the seat of Bowman in 2004 but resigned in 2022.

Earlier this year he ran for the mayor of Redland City Council, accruing 25.77 per cent of the vote and losing to Jos Mitchell.