A 26-year-old Baldivis man received jail time for leading police on a high speed car chase along Mandurah Road, because he did not want his friend’s car to be impounded, it was heard in Mandurah Magistrates Court today.
Rodney David Collard pleaded guilty 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.
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READ NOWThe accused accelerated and drove the car south down Mandurah Road.
Police claim other road users were forced to take evasive action to avoid the car.
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 them, “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.
Ms Hay 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.