Gore fined and ordered to get a license

Craig Gore

Indy Car team owner Craig Gore, is due to face court this morning charged with driving without a license after police discovered the flamboyant businessman had never held a driver's license.

The 41-year-old was caught speeding in a luxury Mercedes-Benz on the M1 at Helensvale last month.

Checks revealed Mr. Gore — son of Sanctuary Cove's developer the late Mike Gore and co-founder of the Atkinson Gore group — appears to have never obtained a license.

With a personal wealth recently estimated at $210 million — the businessman could easily afford the $71.05 for a five-year license.

When contacted for comment about the charge, Mr. Gore yesterday initially declined to comment, but then denied the allegation he had never held a driver's license.

"Well that's just not true," he said.

When asked if he had or had not been licensed to drive a car he said: "I'll leave it to the court to decide.

"I have no comment to make. This is a complete error … it's just complete stupidity."

It is Mr. Gore's his first appearance on the charge, but it is not his first brush with authorities.

The helicopter-flying Mr. Gore took the Gold Coast City Council to the Planning and Environment Court in Brisbane last year after it restricted his fly-ins at his Upper Coomera property to 56 times a year.

The council said the helicopter was in conflict with the local planning guidelines and he could fly only four times a month, plus an additional eight times a year.

The restrictions followed complaints from neighbors about noise and the potential harm to horses and their riders if they were spooked by the helicopter.

Mr. Gore, who the court was told has a full helicopter license, gave evidence that he used the helicopter to fly to work and to the airport.

Mr. Gore's legal counsel said his use of the helicopter was no different to driving a car to work.

His appeal failed and Mr. Gore was forced to use his fleet of personal vehicles for travel — but allegedly failed get a license first.

Mr. Gore's financial interests include dozens of companies across a range of areas including financial services, telemarketing, land and home development, construction, property management, wine exports, agri-business, entertainment, aviation, building materials and engineering.

The business interests include Wright Patton Shakespeare Financial Services — named after his heroes, aviation pioneers the Wright Brothers, US general George Patton and William Shakespeare.

Major projects planned include a $750 million master-designed canal-side project at exclusive Hope Island.

Another development at Saddleback Mountain, proposed for the Coast's Hinterland and to be called 'Seven Mountains', could feature 1500 homes around a golf course designed by former British Open champion Tom Weiskopf. It is also proposed to have world-class equestrian facilities, designed by triple Olympic gold-medalist Andrew Hoy.

Other assets include a new six seat helicopter, two private jets and a 21m cruiser.