Ahren Stringer has been fined and disqualified from driving after pleading guilty to dangerous driving charges in regional Victoria.
Per Blunt, the ex-Amity Affliction bassist and vocalist appeared before Benalla Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (May 26th), where he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and refusing preliminary alcohol and drug testing.
Prosecutors told the court Stringer had been detected travelling at 191km/h in a 100km/h zone on Victoria’s Hume Freeway near Benalla. Police alleged he accelerated heavily through traffic before being intercepted, with the court hearing the speed posed a significant risk to surrounding motorists due to reduced reaction time and potential hazards on the roadway.
According to reports at the time, Stringer repeatedly refused both breath and oral fluid testing after being pulled over, allegedly telling officers he had “the right to refuse”.
During the hearing, Stringer reportedly told the court he had been travelling to Melbourne after learning his sister may have received a cancer diagnosis. The court also heard the musician’s life had changed dramatically since his split from The Amity Affliction in early 2025, with Stringer now working as an undertaker alongside Queensland Police while continuing to pursue music projects.
Defence submissions said the role had reshaped how he viewed some of the reckless behaviour from earlier in his life. The hearing also touched on a turbulent period for the musician, including health issues, back injuries, family pressures, and the collapse of his long-running relationship with the band he co-founded more than two decades ago.
Two additional charges – exceeding the speed limit by more than 45km/h and using a vehicle deemed not roadworthy – were withdrawn during proceedings after prosecutors said the speeding allegation overlapped with the more serious dangerous driving offence.
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No conviction was recorded. Stringer was fined $1,200 and had his licence cancelled and disqualified.
The case follows months of public turbulence surrounding Stringer after his highly publicised departure from The Amity Affliction in 2025. In the aftermath, he launched new project Self Checkout and spoke openly about struggles with burnout, alcohol use, and mental health.
