Community News - providing readers with the very latest in local news, sport, entertainment and more.
Camera IconCommunity News - providing readers with the very latest in local news, sport, entertainment and more. Credit: Community News

Mandurah Court: Baldivis man receives six months’ prison for leading police on high speed chase

Rachel FennerMandurah Coastal Times

Rodney David Collard pleaded guilty in Mandurah Magistrates Court to being the driver of a car on March 13, who failed to comply with a direction to stop in circumstances of aggravation, possessing a glass pipe with traces of methamphetamine on it and reckless driving dangerous to the public to escape pursuit by police.

The police prosecutor told the court it was 1.10am when police activated their lights in relation to another matter.

The accused accelerated and drove the car south down Mandurah Road.

PerthNow Digital Edition.
Your local paper, whenever you want it.

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

Police said other road users were forced to take evasive action to avoid the car Collard was driving.

The accused drove up to 155km/h during the pursuit.

Due to a mechanical fault on the Holden Commodore the accused pulled over, where he was arrested by police.

He told the officers: “I didn’t want the car to be impounded.”

Police found a glass pipe with traces of methamphetamine on it when they searched the car.

Duty lawyer Clare Hay told the court that her client saw the lights and panicked.

She said Collard had a female friend in the car who was encouraging him to drive faster.

Magistrate Leanne Atkins gave Collard credit for his early guilty plea.

She sentenced him to the minimum penalty of six months in prison for failing to stop and three months in prison for dangerous driving to be served concurrently.

Collard’s licence was suspended for two years and he was fined $200 for possessing drug paraphernalia.

Magistrate Atkins warned Collard to avoid negative influences while he served his sentence. He will not be eligible for parole.