Victorian premier Ben Carroll pays petrol bill after police inquiry
Carroll said he forgot to pay after filling his car on Monday night. Victoria’s police commissioner said an accidental drive-off is a civil matter unless proven otherwise.
Victorian Premier Ben Carroll paid for petrol after police contacted him about leaving a service station without paying on Monday night, 19 October, the Guardian reported. Carroll said he had forgotten to pay and settled the bill after learning of the mistake. Police Commissioner Mike Bush said an accidental drive-off is treated as a civil matter unless proven otherwise.
Carroll said in a statement that he filled his car late Monday night and found out on Tuesday that he had not paid. ‘I fixed the bill straight away,’ he said, adding that he was grateful to the service station staff for their understanding. The Guardian reported that he returned to the station to pay.
According to the Guardian, officers reached Carroll through the Department of Parliamentary Services on Tuesday night. He had met Bush earlier that day. The report said no further police action was expected; it did not report a final formal decision.
How Victoria police described the petrol drive-off
Asked about the case on Wednesday, Bush said police regarded a petrol drive-off as a civil matter ‘unless it’s proven otherwise’. If someone acts accidentally and without intent, he said, civil redress is available. Bush said he understood that payment had been made in Carroll’s case.
Bush also said police were careful about treating every drive-off as a crime, while acknowledging the losses service station owners can suffer. His explanation distinguished an accidental failure to pay from deliberate conduct; it was not an announcement of a charge against Carroll.
Carroll’s account and the wider drive-off issue
Speaking at an event on Wednesday, Carroll said former deputy premier John Thwaites had contacted him with a story about once leaving a petrol station without paying and with the nozzle still in his car. ‘It shows that politicians are human beings, and even premiers make mistakes,’ Carroll told an Age forum, according to the Guardian.
The Guardian reported that former premier Jacinta Allan told Victoria’s parliament in March that service station drive-offs were rising and called the practice illegal. Bush’s comments addressed how police assess whether a particular drive-off was deliberate.
The Department of Premier and Cabinet identifies Carroll as Victoria’s 50th premier. The Guardian placed the service station near his home in the Niddrie electorate, without naming it or stating how much he owed.
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Sources and context
- ‘I forgot to pay’: Victoria’s premier Ben Carroll drives off without paying for petrol, sparking police inquiriesThe Guardian
- DPC ministersDepartment of Premier and Cabinet, Victoria
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.