A drug-affected man who admitted driving dangerously in April could "thank his lucky stars that he didn't kill somebody", a Supreme Court Judge said.
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Tyler John Mayne, 28, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, evading police, driving without a licence, driving under the influence of an illicit substance, possession of ammunition and a count of a driver failing to perform duties of a driver involved in a crash on April 22, 2020.
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Justice Michael Brett remarked about Mayne's luck during a plea in mitigation by defence counsel Evan Hughes who said Mayne kicked himself every day for not pulling over when police activated lights and siren.
Crown prosecutor John Ransom said Mayne was spotted by police driving a friends red Audi about 4.30pm on the West Tamar Highway.
Mayne pulled off suddenly to the left and drove through several back streets of Invermay before turning onto Lindsay Street where he overtook three vehicles on the incorrect side of the road in the face of oncoming traffic.
The man, who the court heard could not drive a manual and on one occasion pushed on the clutch instead of the brake, then went the incorrect way round a roundabout at the corner of Lindsay Street and Invermay Road.
He then drove on the Tamar Street Bridge on the wrong side of the road at a speed estimated by a witness to be between 60-80km/h.
Mayne went through a green light at the corner of Tamar Street and the Esplanade and hit a Toyota Hilux.
He ran away and a witness followed him and he was apprehended.
Mr Hughes said Mayne had panicked when he saw police because he believed he could go back to jail for unlicensed driving.
He submitted that the episode of dangerous driving was relatively short involving a distance of hundreds of metres.
"That's because he had an accident," Justice Brett said.
Mr Hughes sought that Mayne could be sentenced via a drug treatment order.
He remanded Mayne in custody for sentence on September 10 at 4pm.
Mr Hughes said Mayne had come from a "dysfunctional, damaged and difficult home".
He said an early plea of guilty in the Magistrates Court demonstrated remorse.