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,Sydney - Wallabies fullback Kurtley Beale has had a charge against him dismissed after he was caught illegally driving a car he had been given as an award.
Beale, 22, was pulled over by police on Oxford Street at Woollahra at 10am on March 13 for driving his turbo charged blue Mazda CX-7 while on his P-plates.
Under NSW law, P-platers are not allowed to drive "high-performance vehicles".
Appearing in Waverely Local Court today, Beale's lawyer told the court his client had won the Mazda in 2007 for being the player of the year in the now defunct Australian Rugby Championships.
At the time Beale, who had played that season for the Western Sydney Rams, did not have a licence and gave the car to his grandmother.
The court was told that Beale had no idea the car was a high performance vehicle until police pulled him over and lifted up the bonnet.
He has now traded the car in for a smaller, less powerful model, his lawyer said.
Magistrate Robbie Williams dismissed the charge against Beale, saying he believed the Wallaby had no idea he was breaking the law by driving the car.
"It would also be very difficult to return the vehicle once the award was received," he said.
Beale has been named fullback for the Wallabies test against South Africa at ANZ Stadium on Saturday.
Beale, 22, was pulled over by police on Oxford Street at Woollahra at 10am on March 13 for driving his turbo charged blue Mazda CX-7 while on his P-plates.
Under NSW law, P-platers are not allowed to drive "high-performance vehicles".
Appearing in Waverely Local Court today, Beale's lawyer told the court his client had won the Mazda in 2007 for being the player of the year in the now defunct Australian Rugby Championships.
At the time Beale, who had played that season for the Western Sydney Rams, did not have a licence and gave the car to his grandmother.
The court was told that Beale had no idea the car was a high performance vehicle until police pulled him over and lifted up the bonnet.
He has now traded the car in for a smaller, less powerful model, his lawyer said.
Magistrate Robbie Williams dismissed the charge against Beale, saying he believed the Wallaby had no idea he was breaking the law by driving the car.
"It would also be very difficult to return the vehicle once the award was received," he said.
Beale has been named fullback for the Wallabies test against South Africa at ANZ Stadium on Saturday.
