A George Town man who is already serving a 30-month-jail sentence pleaded guilty in the Launceston Magistrates Court to a crime spree including reckless driving, colliding with two police cars and other offences in September last year.
Michael Rodney Smith, 25, pleaded guilty to numerous charges including two counts of evading police, stealing, injuring property, driving while disqualified, attempted motor vehicle stealing and drug possession.
Police prosecutor Michael Harley said Smith broke into a vehicle and tried to start it with scissors but broke the scissors in the ignition and gave up and left on August 8. He admitted to police that he was under the influence of drugs at the time.
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On September 5, Smith drove into a driveway in Pateena Road and stopped outside sheds. The owner did not recognise the vehicle and called police.
Smith stole a milk crate full of power tools worth $2020. Police arrived and drove towards Smith's silver Honda with lights on high beam but he continued and collided with the front bumper of the police vehicle causing minor damage and then drove away thereby committing the offence of evade police.
Later the same day, police pulled up at his address in George Town and Smith reversed out of the driveway colliding with the police vehicle and drove off.
Witnesses later saw him driving on the incorrect side of the road at speeds of up to 150km/h on the East Tamar Highway. He was found hiding in bushland at Mt Direction in the vicinity of the Honda which was unregistered.
The stolen tools were located along with two snaplock bags of methylamphetamine (ice).
Defence counsel Hannah Phillips said Smith committed four criminal episodes over two days.
"Mr Smith realises that the only appropriate sentence is one of imprisonment but in light of the sentence he is already serving my primary submission relates to totality," she said.
Smith was sentenced in the Supreme Court last year to a twelve months jail, then he received a further 14 months when a drug treatment order was cancelled and a further four months for family violence offences.
She said Smith's offending arose out of a hopelessness about his entire situation.
Magistrate Simon Brown postponed sentencing until March 4 at 9.15 saying he needed to consider sentencing options.
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.
