A 34-year-old man who evaded police because he feared going back to jail for breaching parole was sentenced in the Launceston Magistrates Court to seven months' jail.
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Phillip James Standage, of Risdon Prison, pleaded guilty to an aggravated evasion of police, driving whilst disqualified, disobeying a red light on September 9, 2020, and one count each of burglary and stealing on September 8, 2020.
The court heard that Standage had two prior convictions for evading police including one in 2018 which involved dangerous driving and resisting police resulting in a three and half year sentence from a Supreme Court judge.
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Police prosecutor Russell Forsyth said that at 11.48pm on September 8, Standage broke into a Jeep at Norwood and stole $950 worth of items including a handbag and a wallet.
At 1.55am on September 9 police were in Quarantine Road when they saw a vehicle disobey a red light and turn into Hobart Road.
Police attempted to intercept, but he accelerated away.
"The vehicle began swerving and mounted the kerb and hit several rubbish bins before crashing into a paling fence outside 160 Hobart Rd," Mr Forsyth said.
"A male decamped and jumped several fences to get away."
A female passenger trapped in the car by air bags confirmed Standage was the driver before attending the Launceston General Hospital for treatment.
Standage had been disqualified from driving for five years in 2018 at the same time he received the three-and-a-half year jail sentence.
When apprehended Standage told police he felt terrible for leaving his girlfriend in the vehicle.
Defence counsel Fran McCracken said Standage had been released on parole in June 2020, but had started a spiral of using methylamphetamine and stealing petrol to re-sell for drug money.
Magistrate Sharon Cure sentenced Standage to four months' jail for evading police and three months' jail for driving whilst disqualified and burglary and stealing.
She ordered that one month jail be concurrent with his current sentence and disqualified him from driving for a further three years.
"It is a very serious matter evading police, it shows a complete disregard for the law and puts the community at risk," she said.
Nick Clark
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for The Examiner. My journalism career has clicked over 34 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
I am the Supreme and Magistrates Court reporter for The Examiner. My journalism career has clicked over 34 years and encompasses four different spells at Tasmanian newspapers.
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