A 27-year-old man stuck his finger up as he drove at 158 km/h an hour through a speed camera in a sustained episode of dangerous driving, the Supreme Court in Launceston has heard.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Tyrell Anthony Bailey of George Town pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and evading police on September 9, 2023.
Crown prosecutor James Thompson said that police recognised a Mitsubishi Magna at a bottle shop in Devonport.
Soon after they spoke to the driver, a person who was protected from Bailey by a family violence order hopped into the car.
Mr Thompson said police told him he was under arrest, but he put the Magna into reverse and backed into the police vehicle.
"He then drove forward and made contact with the wall of the bottle shop," Mr Thompson said.
Bailey drove through the middle of a roundabout in William Street Devonport before turning onto the Bass Highway and heading east.
He turned left at Port Sorrell Rd and sped, crossing double white lines and overtaking vehicles at one point. He was on the wrong side of the road for 300 metres.
Numerous witnesses called the police about his driving.
Mr Thompson said that at 9.42 am, he passed a speed camera.
"He went past the speed camera at 158 km/h in an area where the speed limit was 80 km/h," he said.
"His middle finger was raised towards the camera."
Mr Thompson said the Magna was next seen on the West Tamar Highway about an hour later, about 70 km away.
On the West Tamar Highway between Legana and Riverside, he sped in on the incorrect side of the road and overtook numerous vehicles.
He tailgated a car for about 200 metres at less than two metres behind.
On a couple of occasions, his overtaking manoeuvre caused his right front tyre to veer off the sealed section into gravel.
Bailey clipped the left side mirror of a car.
Mr Thompson said police had not pursued the Magna with all statements about the driving behaviour coming from witnesses.
Police did not catch up with him until November 4, 2023, and he has been in custody since.
Defence lawyer Lucy Flanagan said Bailey had a poor driving record.
Any sentence should be backdated to December 14, she said.
"Mr Bailey accepts it was offending over a long duration," she said.
"The only thing that can be said about it is that no one was injured."
Ms Flanagan said he was a father of four children and had some past employment periods.
Justice Robert Pearce remanded him in custody for sentence on May 9.
Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for the Examiner for the past 18 months. My journalism career has clicked over 30 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
