A 36-year-old man who drove at two police constables while trying to escape arrest was sentenced to eight months in jail.
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Magistrate Sharon Cure found Robert Craig Williams, 36, guilty of a charge of assault police and evade police in aggravated circumstances in April 2019.
She said that Williams was reckless in his attempt to get away, but that she did not find there had been an intent to cause harm.
The assault police charge related to Williams driving straight at Constable Kyron McMahon in Smiths Lane near Allgoods in St John Street, Launceston.
Constable McMahon told the court that he and colleague Benjamin Pearce-Lieutier were parked in an unmarked car and looking for Mr Williams in the Launceston CBD because the Parole Board had issued a warrant for his arrest.
After seeing Mr Williams Constable Pearce-Lieutier called "stop, police", but Mr Williams ran down Smiths Lane.
The police officers chased him on foot into the Lane, but Mr Williams had already got into his parked car and started driving.
Constable Pearce-Lieutier said he put himself hard against the wall of the lane as Mr Williams drove a Nissan Pulsar towards him.
He tried to grab the door handle. He said Mr Williams had no intention of stopping and continued to accelerate.
Constable McMahon, who was behind his colleague, said he was several metres into the lane when he saw Mr Williams drive straight at him in the 4.5 metre wide lane.
"The vehicle accelerated and started coming towards me. I believed if I did not get out of the way it would strike me," he said.
"I turned and ran."
He said that he jumped out of the way into St John Street and struck his knee on a metal bench.
Constable McMahon said he looked to see Mr Williams turn left into St John Street and drive through a red light and turn left into York Street.
He estimated the vehicle was travelling at 20 to 30km/h in the laneway.
Before the hearing Williams pleaded guilty to reckless driving and driving without a licence on the same day.
Crown prosecutor Claire Darvell read a victim impact statement from Constable McMahon which revealed that the incident had resurrected the stresses caused by a similar preceding incident.
He said the back of the car had been not far away when he turned after diving which "made me think how close it was".
She said it was a serious case because of the use of a powerful motor vehicle.
Defence counsel Olivia Jenkins said the incident had occurred over a very short period of time.
However, Ms Cure said that the short duration did not make it any less dangerous and that people could be killed in an instant.
She sentenced him to four months in jail for the evasion of police and four months for the assault backdated to April 1, 2021.
He was disqualified from driving for two years from date of release.
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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.
