Rockingham: prison term for man who led police on meth-fuelled high-speed chase

A MAN who led police through 10 suburbs on a high-speed chase has been sent to prison.

Allen James Bloomfield pleaded guilty to 10 charges including reckless driving to escape pursuit by police, failing to stop, criminal damage, possessing methamphetamine and cannabis, and stealing.

The prosecutor said Bloomfield was driving a Toyota Hilux on Anketell Road in Hope Valley when police used lights and sirens to get him to stop at 10.31am on December 29, 2016.

Bloomfield instead sped away from police until he reached the freeway where he reached speeds of 130km/h and weaved in and out of the emergency lane to avoid traffic.

He also drove on the wrong side of the road through a roundabout.

Twice he collided with other cars causing them frontend damage; no one was seriously injured in any of the collisions.

He also sped through a red light where he again hit more cars and managed to evade a police stinger.

Police eventually caught him in South Lake after he drove into a cul-de-sac and was blocked in by police cars.

The pursuit lasted 25 minutes through Mandogalup, Banjup, Jandakot, Atwell and Cockburn Central before ending in South Lake.

Bloomfield was taken to Fiona Stanley Hospital as he had ingested an unknown substance at the time of his arrest.

On January 19, Bloomfield drove through a limestone wall at a business on Crompton Road causing $6500 of damage.

He broke into a caravan and stole various items worth $1400.

Members of the public called police and when they arrived, Bloomfield climbed a barbed wire fence into another premises before police caught him.

He told police he did it as “he needed to pay off a drug debt”.

The duty lawyer said Bloomfield had gone out with friends at the end of a four-day meth binge and needed to clear his head.

She said the 29-year-old had freaked out when police put on their lights and sirens.

She said he accepted it was serious pursuit and showed genuine insight and remorse into his offending.

Bloomfield had previously been falsely accused of inappropriate behaviour with a child.

“It was found to be completely false; it was later admitted by the accusers it was wrong but it led to his life falling off the rails and he became involved with methamphetamine,” the duty lawyer said.

She said he had been fully co-operative with police.

Magistrate Leanne Atkins said his behaviour had been appalling.

“Your driving was atrocious, you contacted other people’s cars and they were endangered when people like you drive recklessly,” she said.

“It was about 10.30 in the morning when there would have been members of the public around at that time.

“It is an appalling set of facts.”

She sentenced him one year and four months in prison and made him eligible for parole.

He was also disqualified from driving for three years and fined $3000.

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