Coronavirus rules prevented Troy Mercanti from supporting his heavily pregnant daughter in court last Wedensday as she was fined for driving her Mercedes-Benz while her licence was suspended.
It is understood Mercanti — no stranger to the justice system — was turned away from entering Perth Magistrate’s Court with his daughter Tori Mercanti because of COVID-19 entry restrictions on people other than those appearing.
Ms Mercanti, 24, was fined $200 after she pleaded guilty to driving her Mercedes on Mitchell Freeway in Innaloo while under a licence fines suspension about 7am on January 23. Her lawyer Paul Holmes — who also represents her father — put the offence down to a “simple oversight”, saying Ms Mercanti, who appeared to have teamed her black outfit with $1400 Valentino Rockstud heels, missed one payment, with a payment plan now back in place.
Magistrate Tanya Watt acknowledged Ms Mercanti had a clean criminal record, had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and her fines were now up-to-date.
Meanwhile, Mercanti was spotted wearing all-black and a cap waiting near the court with another man, believed to be Ms Mercanti’s partner, and also chatted to another criminal lawyer.
Mercanti is due in the same court next month charged with four counts of breaching a post-sentence supervision order over allegations he has had contact with bikie associates. He was hit with three of those charges at the weekend, with police alleging he breached the order over the past three months in Victoria Park, Mindarie and Currambine.
It is alleged on one occasion he met a group of 12 people at a restaurant for a birthday party and among those who attended was an alleged bikie associate at the Currambine bistro.
Mr.Mercanti, 52, was placed on a supervision order on his release from a near seven-year stint behind bars last January over the brutal and repeated bashing of his then partner Tammy Kingdon.
Before his latest arrest, Mercanti was already facing one count of breaching the order over allegations he met Mongols bikies at Bathers Beach House cafe in Fremantle in January.
Mr Holmes on Sunday told the court his client would plead not guilty to the new charges, claiming some allegations related to a long-time friend who had no bikie links.
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Source: The Western Australian