In 2006, Towle was sentenced to 10 years in prison for causing the death of six teenagers in a hit-and-run incident. Recently, in Bendigo Magistrates Court, the 53-year-old pleaded guilty to two new charges.
Towle confessed that he was driving a Holden Commodore without a license when he was apprehended on the Calder Highway in central Victoria in September 2024.
But police prosecutor Dave Somerton said jail was the only way to stop Towle from “deliberately flouting the law”.
He pointed to his 12 prior convictions of driving while unlicensed or disqualified.
“I don’t want to be on the other side of the road with Mr Towle coming towards me,” the sergeant said.
“He has to understand there is a price to pay.”
Aumair deferred Towle’s sentence to April so he could prove he was committed to engaging with his counselling and drug treatment.
“Show me … that you are fair dinkum about this,” Aumair told Towle.
“Continue to drive and flout the law and you will go to jail.”
She cancelled his licence ahead of his sentence and disqualified him from driving for 18 months.
In 2008, Towle was sentenced to 10 years’ jail after he drove into a group of 13 teenagers in Mildura in February 2006.
The tragic accident resulted in the loss of Shane Hirst, 16, his 17-year-old sister Abby Hirst, Stevie-Lee Weight, 15, and also claimed the lives of Cassandra Manners, Cory Dowling, and Josephine Calvi – all aged 16.
