Controversial footy legend learns his fate after spending THREE YEARS fighting a speeding fine in court
Brownlow medallist Jason Akermanis’ three-year fight against a speeding ticket has finally come to an end.
The former Brisbane Lions star had applied for an appeal against a charge of driving at 141km/h on a 100km/h section of the Cunningham Highway, near Ipswich, on May 22, 2022.
The 48-year-old had applied for a leave to appeal the charge on Tuesday in a Queensland court insisting he was not driving as fast as alleged.
In 2023, Ipswich Magistrates Court handed the three-time premiership winner a $1,500 fine and a six-month driving license suspension.
Akermanis had also appealed the decision last year in the District Court.
Akermanis’ lawyer Paddy O’Donnell, who was working pro-bono for the four-time All-Australian, had asked the Court of Appeal to overturn Akermanis’ previous unsuccessful appeal application.
Brisbane great Jason Akermanis has seen his three-year battle against a speeding fine come to an end
Akermanis, a Brownlow medallist, won three premierships with the Brisbane Lions during his career
On Tuesday, O’Donnell delivered multiple arguments to the court, relating to the operation of the Lidar speed gun while also arguing that not enough weight was given to evidence relating to the poor weather at the time of the incident and how that had impacted the accuracy of the speed meter.
Court of Appeal president Debra Mullins dismissed his arguments. She said the above-mentioned matters had already been addressed in the lower courts.
‘Just because you put in contrary evidence based on an expert report where the judicial officer has to make a decision between two experts, that is a matter for judgment for the judicial officer,’ she said.
Akermanis’ appeal was denied.
The father-of-three, who hails from Mildura in Victoria, made 210 appearances for the Brisbane Lions returning 263 goals during his glittering career.
Widely considered one of the greats of his era, notably playing a pivotal role in the Brisbane premiership dynasty in the naughties, Akermanis subsequently moved to the Western Bulldogs in 2007.
He would make 77 AFL appearances before he was de-listed in 2010.
The footy star, pictured with his partner Megan, had sought to overturn a speeding fine after he had been alleged to have been driving at 141km/h in a 100km/h zone in 2022
Following his three-year legal stand-off, Akermanis opened up on the proceedings outside of court, claiming he’d learnt a great deal about the legal system over the past three years.
‘All that information that we have two and a half years, nearly three years on, then I have no doubt that we would have had a great opportunity to sort of get the result in our favour because it’s one km an hour in the end,’ he said.
‘I can’t thank Paddy enough.
‘You move forward.’
