Tyler John Mayne, 28 pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, evading police, driving with an illicit substance in his body, fail to comply with the duties of a driver involved in a crash and possession of ammunition on April 22, 2020.

Mayne sought the alternative sentencing option of a drug treatment order whereby he would avoid jail.

In other news:

However, Justice Michael Brett said Mayne's driving in peak hour traffic on Invermay Road could have resulted in the death or serious injury to other road users.

Two reports from the Court Mandated Drug Diversion officers found that he was unsuitable and ineligible for such an order.

"The reports expressed concern that he had a poor pattern of long term offending," Justice Brett said.

The court heard that he had been out of jail for three months at the time of the offence.

Justice Brett said Mayne was spotted by police on the East Tamar Highway about 4.30pm.

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 red light at the corner of Tamar Street and the Esplanade and hit at 60-80kmh a Toyota Hilux travelling through a green light.

He ran away and a witness followed him and he was apprehended.

Defence counsel Evan Hughes told an earlier hearing that Mayne panicked when he saw police because he believed he could go back to jail for unlicensed driving.

Justice Brett said Mayne had been committed many serious acts of violence, some of which had occurred in custody.

"It's an inescapable fact that he has disregard for the law," he said.

He said he was far from convinced that Mayne had any genuine remorse for the behaviour.

"He ran off without any apparent concern for the driver of the other vehicle," he said.

"That you were fleeing police aggravates the seriousness," he said.

Mayne received 15 months for dangerous driving and three months for evading police and a $500 fine for the other offences.

He was disqualified from driving for three years and nine months from the date of release.