A man will be behind bars for at least seven months after leading police on a chase through Goulburn's CBD in March 2022.
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Anthony John Smith, 30, plead guilty to one charge each of driving while disqualified and failing to stop during a police pursuit in Goulburn Local Court on Wednesday (April 27).
Court documents showed that on March 3, Smith, who was wearing a distinctive red cap at the time, was observed by police driving 'well above' the speed limit on Avoca Street.
After failing to stop after requested by police, he accelerated through the CBD.
Police were forced to abandon their pursuit for safety reasons but found Smith parked on Beppo Street. After approaching him on foot he drove off again before he parked the vehicle, which police found abandoned shortly after, on Oliver Street.
Smith's mother arrived on the scene in possession of his cap and keys and advised police he had dropped the car off.
Police then spotted Smith and began a pursuit on foot through backyards adjacent to Victoria Street before finally apprehending him. Upon his arrest, he was subjected to a drug test and returned a positive result for meth.
Police documents revealed Smith showed remorse upon being arrested, telling police he "could have killed someone". He was remanded in custody due to a previous community corrections order [CCO] being in place.
In court, his lawyer told of Smith's troubled upbringing with family tragedy leading to a serious drug addiction.
Magistrate Geraldine Beattie acknowledged Smith had strong family support and had agreed he needed full-time rehabilitation but denied the request for an intensive corrections order in place of jail time.
"You admitted that you could have killed people," she told Smith via AVL.
"You were on a CCO at the time. You knew what was at risk and you knew you would be going to jail. I acknowledge your strong family support and your need for assistance with rehab but the matters have crossed the threshold [for jail]."
Smith was sentenced to 15 months in jail with a seven-month non-parole period for the pursuit as well as a disqualification from driving for three years. Upon parole he must enter residential rehabilitation.
In addition, he was handed a six-month jail term and a 12-month disqualification period for the drive while disqualified charge.
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