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Lamborghini-driving Sydney lawyer: Peter Lavac has vowed never to
back down to “fat cat bullies” after a court bid to try and keep his
controversial ‘LGOPNR’ number plates failed on Monday.
NSW Police seized the plates - which say an abbreviation of “leg
opener” - after pulling Mr Lavac over while he was driving his yellow
Lamborghini to carry out a random breath test in November.
He has since been fighting to have them returned and wanted a
court declaration stating their contents couldn’t be deemed offensive.
But on Monday at Downing Centre Local Court, Magistrate Greg
Elks ruled in favour of Transport for NSW, who he said retained ownership of
all number plates in the state and could recall them at will.
After the setback, Mr Lavac, a barrister and former Hong Kong
prosecutor, said he already had ideas for his next custom registration.
They include the moniker of UK clothing brand ‘FCUK’, but he
said he will more likely settle for ‘XLEGO’ – an abbreviation for “extra-large
ego”.
“The main reason I took these people to court was to send a
message,” he said outside the court.
“And that
was my way of saying, as politely as I know how, ‘Hey guys, this is the 21st
century. This is Australia. This is a free country. This is a democracy. This
is not the Soviet Union."
“So get a life. Get a sense of humour and get over it.”
In court,
Mr Lavac argued the vanity plates were a “tongue-in-cheek, funny, humorous,
taking-the-piss tribute to my reputation as a playboy”.
But Mr Elks said the lawyer was given several opportunities
during his months-long stoush, which began in August, to comply with the
demands of an authority that followed “all procedural steps”.
The magistrate also ruled he had no jurisdiction to consider
whether or not the content of the plates were offensive.
When the decision was handed down, Mr Lavac, 74, was joined by
model Melanie Wright. She was recently recruited for a photo shoot with his
Lambo and the X-rated number plates.
“This
court decision doesn’t faze me in the slightest,” Mr Lavac said.
“I have never backed down from a challenge or a fight in my
entire life. It’s not in my DNA.
“I paddled a surf ski across the South China Sea. I disabled a
gunman at the Sydney Hilton – why on earth would I ever back down to a bunch of
… fat cat bullies?
“The reason why this court decision doesn’t faze me is because
we have already won – we won in the pub test – we won in the court of public
opinion.”
He also
claimed authorities tried to “intimidate” him when police seized his plates
during a vehicle stop but said that was not going to silence him.
Mr Lavac said the only offensive part of the number plate saga
was the taxpayer’s money “wasted in this trivial, mickey mouse bullshit”.
“Hell will freeze over before I apologise,” he said. “If they’re
offended by it all I can say is get a life.”