Australian actor Vince Colosimo avoided paying $61,858 in unpaid fines after convincing a judge he was mentally ill, broke and on the verge of becoming homeless.
Colosimo, who as Neville Bartos famously told Eric Bana’s chopper character that he had “no cash” while on a back-up job, appeared Thursday via video link at Melbourne Magistrates Court after failing to pay the mountain of fines.
The court heard that Colosimo claimed he suffered from the heinous effects of methamphetamine during the course of his crime, which dates back to 2012.
Australian actor Vince Colosimo (pictured) has been handed 169 traffic fines while having his license suspended
Vince Colosimo was spotted out and about in Melbourne on Wednesday. He failed to appear in court in person on Thursday
The disgraced actor, represented by top Silk Julia Munster, has been accused of racking up the massive debt from 169 traffic fines, mostly while he was barred from driving.
About 150 of those fines were issued through the Bureau of Traffic Cameras. A 68-page folder containing summaries of these incidents was produced at the court hearing.
Most fines were for driving an unauthorized vehicle on toll roads and speeding, with at least two fines for failing to vote and blocking a person’s entrance.
Judge Guillaume Bailin said he could only pay the fines against Colosimo if the actor could show “special circumstances” existed.
The court heard that Colosimo’s lawyer claimed her client was suffering from a “serious mental illness”.
Mr Bailin revealed that Colosimo had told the doctor he had been abusing the deadly drug ice cream for more than a decade.
“(The doctor) concludes that he has ADHD, Major Depressive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, and Stimulant Use Disorder, which I would describe as a coping mechanism, while also experiencing PTSD symptoms,” he said he.
“What (the doctor) doubts is that the plaintiff’s diagnosis was present during the infringing behavior…These disorders were present, they were not only present during the infringing behavior but persisted and were the subject of treatment.”
Australian actor Vince Colosimo (right) enjoyed a holiday in Europe with his girlfriend Sabella Sugar (left) last year. At the same time he had to appear in court
Australian actor Vince Colosimo (right) and his girlfriend Sabella Sugar (left) in better times. They appeared together in a Melbourne court on Thursday
Ms Munster submitted two psychiatric reports to the court, drawn up in May and July, setting out how and why the fines were imposed on Colosimo.
“He admits liability for any unpaid violations,” Ms Munster conceded.
The court heard the troubled actor received government payments during the Covid pandemic but managed to repay just $6,025 of his fines with borrowed money.
There’s no cash here, okay? cash no. Robbo. Vince Colosimo in Choppers
Mr. Bailin explained the former Hollywood star’s dire financial situation, which left him with no assets.
“Mr. Colosimo has no assets, he is effectively unable to meet financial obligations if it comes to residency or other reasons… His rent and work situation remains precarious,” he said.
Ms Munster hinted that Colosimo was on the verge of homelessness.
“He leads a meager lifestyle and has very limited financial resources to really meet his current commitments, let alone anything else,” she said.
“Your Honor is aware of the very difficult financial situation he is in, and that is a relevant consideration as your Honor considers what disposition to make.”
Under either payment plan, for every $40 he owed, Colosimo would have had to work an hour — about 64 full days, around the clock.
At the sentencing hearing, Mr. Bailin addressed the shocking effects of drugs on drug addicts.
“Using illicit drugs contributed to emotional dysregulation and cognitive difficulties, and generally contributed to lifestyle instability and instability that Mr. Colosimo was not adequately equipped to deal with,” he said.
“This culminated in disregard for duty with a range of offenses from parking to speeding to not dialing.”
However, he ordered that Colosimo be able to do 101 hours of unpaid community service over the next year, meaning Colosimo was exempted from paying $58,000.
In hilarious scenes, Colosimo could be seen obeying the orders of his long-suffering partner, Sabelle Sugar, who shooed him away from the camera while they waited for his case to be called.
Sugar continues to stand by the troubled star despite long-standing allegations that he repeatedly cheated on her throughout their relationship.
The Aussie star linked up with Sugar in 2018 after his relationships with actors Jane Hall and Diana Glenn failed.
Colosimo missed a court appearance last year while touring Europe with Sugar. The couple were pictured in front of the Eiffel Tower after attending the Cannes Film Festival.
“Underbelly Star” was warned he could face jail time
In 2017, Judge David Starvaggi told Colosimo he shouldn’t have been driving and that drug driving was a fundamental problem that “even a kindergarten kid could understand.”
“You’re building a nice little story for yourself here,” he said.
“You’re risking jail time… coming back here for the fourth time won’t be pretty.”
Colosimo had pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and driving without a license – the same charges he now faces.
He was fined $3,500 and had his driver’s license suspended for an additional five months.
Ms Munster argued that prison would be “excessively harsh” for Colosimo due to his mental illness.
The court heard that Colosimo continued to be treated by the psychologist and that further treatment could be expected.
Ms Munster said the fines against Colosimo had to be forgiven in full, otherwise they would only be paid in part and the rest would be made up through unpaid community service.
Sheriff and Fines Victoria Attorney Paul Ellis did not dispute Colosimo’s intellectual disability claim, leaving the decision to the judge.
Fines Victoria had sought a writ of execution against Colosimo, which would have resulted in officers being granted powers to search and seize his property or vehicles in order to sell and settle the outstanding debt.
In October, Colosimo was embarrassed to leave Melbourne Magistrates’ Court and ran down an alleyway to avoid a media rush.
Colosimo had pleaded guilty to drug driving and driving without a license and did not tell police his real name.
The ugly incident in 2021 during Melbourne’s strict Covid-19 lockdowns resulted in him being reconvicted and fined – adding a further $2,500 to his growing tally of fines.
Vince Colosimo as Neville Bartos in the 2000 film Chopper
In a startling admission, the judge said during the hearing that she feared Colosimo would simply ignore the fine she imposed on him.
“I don’t have a lot of confidence that he will pay,” she said before announcing her verdict.
Prosecutors had requested that Colosimo be jailed over his shocking driving history, which includes multiple prior convictions for driving without a license and a previous drug abuse conviction.
“Nothing less than prison is sufficient,” prosecutor Bianca Moleta demanded at the time.
The court heard that Colosimo had managed to be repeatedly fined for driving offenses without actually holding a driver’s license.
News of the unpaid fines appeared to come as a shock to both Colosimo and his then-attorney George Vassis, who quickly turned to address his client seated behind him.
Prosecutor Bianca Moleta told the court that Colosimo lost his driver’s license twice again due to demerit points, while being disqualified for fines imposed and imposed on him in recent years while his driver’s license was revoked.
“Although no charges have been filed against him, this is a sign that the Traffic Camera Office does not necessarily communicate with the Victoria Police, however these are recorded in his penalties list after his driver’s license was revoked,” she said.
Vince Colosimo has also become a parody of his underbelly character, Alphonse Gangitano. He is pictured leaving a court in Melbourne last year
Vince Colosimo escaped media attention on Thursday by hiding in his attorney’s office. He was chased down the street by reporters during a personal appearance last year
Colosimo assured the judge he had sought treatment for his drug problems but never managed to complete a full program.
The actor reached out to Ms Trumble directly to let her know he had also sought help from counselors.
“I’ve seen a lot of counselors in my time,” he said from his seat in the courtroom.
On leaving the court, Colosimo refused to speak about how he had dealt with his criminal activities.
Best known in Australia for portraying underworld gangsters Alphonse Gangitano and Bartos, the court concluded that Colosimo had learned from his mistakes.
In 2017, Colosimo’s was warned he faced jail time after being caught driving with the suspension a third time – this time on ice.
Judge David Starvaggi told Colosimo he shouldn’t have been driving and that drug driving was a fundamental problem that “even a kindergarten kid could understand.”
“You’re building a nice little story for yourself here,” he said.
“You’re risking jail time… coming back here for the fourth time won’t be pretty.”