'As bad as one would see' magistrate slams man's driving record

Jayden Garry Fehlberg, 29, pleaded guilty to a count of driving recklessly while evading police, two counts of driving while disqualified and a count of driving with drugs in his body and breach of bail.

Magistrate Simon Brown said that Fehlberg received a 28-day suspended jail sentence on November 18, 2021.

Just over two months later, on January 27, 2022, he drove while disqualified and eventually pleaded guilty, breaching the suspended sentence.

Fehlberg, who is involved in a gardening business, was also found guilty after a hearing of driving while disqualified on November 28, 2022.

Mr Brown said that a case of aggravated evasion of police on July 22, 2023, while under the influence of drugs was a serious case of the offence.

"That was a very serious episode of breaching traffic laws," he said.

"The driving was sustained, which included high speed and a number of dangerous manoeuvres.

'You were in a large four-wheel vehicle in wet weather, and the act only ended when the vehicle ran out of petrol after travelling some 30 kilometres.

"Even then, the defendant took off after he stopped until stopped by police."

"It was a sustained and dangerous act of evasion."

Mr Brown said that Fehlberg had been before courts nine times on counts of evading police between 2014 and 2021.

"These include episodes of dangerous and negligent driving, and generally, your record is bad as one would see," he said.

His record also included bail breaches, drug, violence and dishonesty matters, which resulted in some time in prison.

Fehlberg had also had the opportunity to avoid jail via a drug treatment order but had eventually breached it.

Mr Brown said Fehlberg's rehabilitation was a less critical sentencing factor than specific and general deterrence and condemnation of the behaviour.

He activated the 28-day suspended sentence from October 6, 2023, and added six months jail for the aggravated evasion of police and a further four months jail for driving while disqualified.

He disqualified him from driving for three years.

Mr Brown ordered that Fehlberg must serve eight months in jail before being eligible for parole.