A JOONDALUP magistrate told a young man that methamphetamine had “completely ruined” his life as she sentenced him to more than a year in jail over multiple police vehicle pursuits – including one where his parents were in the car.
Anthony John Di Silvio (23) faced Joondalup Magistrates Court on Friday and pleaded guilty to more than 10 charges, three of which were cases of reckless driving to escape police in the northern suburbs.
Magistrate Michelle Pontifex sentenced Di Silvio to 13 months in prison backdated to September 29 when he was taken into custody.
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READ NOW“It’s a record that shows a young man whose life has been completely ruined by meth,” she said.
“You need to take the time to give life a long hard thought.
“I’m sure your family would appreciate that.”
Family members were at the hearing in support of Di Silvio.
The police prosecutor recounted several instances between June and late September where Di Silvio had failed to stop for police while driving without a licence.
The prosecutor said his parents were in the car in one of the early cases, but the court later heard it was not a high speed or reckless pursuit on that occasion.
In another chase on June 12, police believe he drove a vehicle at speeds up to 150km/h after he accelerated away when officers stopped him on Moolanda Boulevard in Kingsley.
The prosecutor said he drove on to the wrong side of the road during the chase, which continued on to Hepburn Avenue.
On September 26, police attempted to stop his car at a red light on Moolanda Boulevard but he fled by doing a U-turn over a median strip.
Police said he reached speeds up to 130km/h during the pursuit.
He was apprehended in Marangaroo on September 29 after he abandoned the car during a police chase in which the vehicle he was driving struck a small Toyota.
Defence lawyer Jeremy Noble said his client had experienced a tragedy at age 17 and become a methamphetamine user.
He said Di Silvio was not a “thrill seeker” and had panicked when police attempted to stop him because he was on a suspended prison order and driving without a licence.
He said Di Silvio was “genuinely petrified” that the prison order would be activated, which led to his attempts to evade police.
He said the consequences of his actions had been an “extremely sobering experience” for him.
“He doesn’t want to return to prison after his sentence,” he said.
Ms Pontifex fined him more than $2500 in relation to other charges including $1000 for the possession of stolen property and $800 for possessing a weapon.
Mr Noble was asked if he or Di Silvio’s family would like to comment, but he declined.
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