By Corey Everitt
A serial hoon has been sentenced to three months’ jail after facing scores of charges from illegal ‘skid meets’.
Cooper Peatling, 25, faced the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 31 August.
He pleaded guilty to offences such as reckless conduct endangering serious injury, theft of motor vehicle and property damage, and drug possession and incitement charges.
The offences were committed in areas such as Lynbrook, Keysborough, Truganina and Thomastown throughout 2021.
On 29 July, 2021, Peatling was ‘busted’ turning right from Clyde street onto Burwood Highway, against a “left turn only” sign, and intentionally accelerated the car so the rear wheels lost traction and ‘fishtailed’ in the Eastern lanes of the road.
Leading Senior Constable Bull intercepted the accused, who was on a learners permit, and his passenger was on a suspended Victorian probationary licence, and was therefore not a suitable accompanying driver.
This was one among several other offences.
The court heard that Peatling was part of established hooning rings ‘South East Skids’ and ‘Northern Tea Party’.
They were known for informal meet-ups at industrial estates involving reckless driving and stunts in front of hundreds of people.
Peatling, who held a learner’s licence during the offences, would attend these meetings in a white Mazda van that was registered in his grandmother’s name.
He was apparently known in the community as the ‘One Stop Tyre Shop’ due to the van carrying car jacks and spare tyres for engagement in reckless driving.
Evidence constructed from police reports, data intercepts and from social media such as TikTok and Snapchat showed Peatling’s well-known white van engaging in the burnouts
On 9 July 2021, the van attended a hooning meet at the intersection of Business Park Drive and Commercial Drive in Lynbrook, police told the court.
On nearby CCTV footage, the white van was seen to perform burnouts, figure-eights and flicking the van dangerously close to about 100 bystanders.
Peatling’s passenger allegedly ‘exited’ the vehicle briefly during the dangerous driving by sitting on the window with their legs out and holding the roof racks.
Police arrived as Peatling performed a burnout. He promptly exited the intersection at speed, narrowly missing a pedestrian who had to run out of the van’s way.
Peatling would have learner plates displayed in the front and back of the vehicle, while covering the van’s registration plates during this incident.
The prosecution argued that Peatling was not just a participant but an architect of the hooning group’s activities, charging him with inciting others to perform dangerous driving.
He had sent Snapchat messages to call on other associates out to hooning events in the northern suburbs.
At the time, Peatling was on bail after being arrested for failing to appear before court over a suspended driving charge.
Defence lawyer Maria Cananzi argued the seriousness of the offences had been recognised by Peatling and his rehabilitation since being charged and bailed should be considered.
“He has effectively extricated himself from that environment, from those influences, recognising where he has found himself,” Ms Cananzi argued.
“There has been no further offending in relation to any use of motor vehicle.
“The changes in behaviour have been borne out and are evident to the court in other ways.”
The defence argued he had shown promising changes in his life, including maintaining a full-time job and strong ties to his family, who made a large presence at Peatling’s sentencing.
Magistrate John O’Callaghan said he did not consider Peatling as an ‘architect’ of the hooning meets but he took the list of dangerous driving very seriously.
“That is an entirely different category, significantly different category of serious when it comes to the actual conduct.
“I’m a country person, I was a country magistrate and I’ve seen things I can’t unsee in terms of what has been the consequences of young people.
“I come from that point of view of the seriousness of the offending and also the thefts and dishonesty types of matters.”
Mr O’Callaghan sentenced Peatling to three months’ jail, a community corrections order and a $3000 fine.
“I don’t put you in the category of a person who wants to hurt people. In fact, my impression of you is that [you] are actually a quite good young fellow,” Mr O’Callaghan said.
“You have people that love you and continue to love you, and that is the strongest thing and the best thing I have heard.
“But actions have consequences, we know that as adults and you as a young man have to accept that.
“The consequences are that people could have lost their life, they could have been materially, substantially been hurt and have their lives affected, and if you think I’m exaggerating, I can tell you I have seen it.“
Mr O’Callaghan made a point of saying he calculated the maximum possible sentence for his charges, which was roughly 95 years and $200,000 in fines, to further demonstrate the seriousness of Peatling’s actions.
“I’ve given you a significant discount which takes into account your youth, your prospects of rehabilitation, I think you are genuinely sorry for what has happened, despite there could be an argument that you weren’t at the time, I think you’ve moved on a bit from then,” Mr O’Callaghan said to Peatling.
“I actually think you have a good future ahead of you. You might say he just sent me to jail and why would he think that? I actually do believe that, particularly because of your family, particularly because of your work.”
Peatling will be under a corrections order for 12 months after his jail time. The CCO includes 100 hours of unpaid community service.
His licence is suspended for 18 months.
Mr O’Callaghan ordered members to clear the court to give Peatling and his family a moment together before he was taken by court security.
