Perth man accused of letting toddler steer car appears in court

Jake Douglas Smith, a 30-year-old man from Perth, appeared in court on Friday, accused of allowing a toddler to steer a car while seated on his lap in suburban Alkimos. The alleged incident occurred on September 11, according to police. A video uploaded to social media showed the young child with hands on the steering wheel and the back of their head as the vehicle navigated through a residential area, eventually mounting a curb and stopping on a front lawn.

The video caption read, "3 year old driving a Hilux what a legend." Mr. Smith represented himself in court and requested an adjournment. He was previously on a conditional suspended imprisonment order, and his bail was extended until his next hearing later in the month. When questioned about uploading the video to social media, Mr. Smith was uncertain.