A Queanbeyan man who led police on a high-speed chase from Sunshine Bay to Malua Bay in a stolen car last year will spend at least two years behind bars.
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Timothy Michael Powell, 34, pleaded guilty to 13 charges during his appearance via audio-visual link in Batemans Bay Local Court on Monday, July 17.
Police said a witness spotted Powell driving what was believed to be a stolen Toyota Landcruiser in Guerilla Bay at about 8.30pm on November 14, before contacting police.
The witness followed the vehicle through Malua Bay and Surf Beach, where Powell reversed into the front bullbar of the witness’ vehicle and drove off.
Police intercepted Powell a short time later in Sunshine Bay, where a pursuit commenced, with Powell reaching speeds of up to 105km/h in an 80km/h zone.
Powell reversed into the front bullbar of the witness’ vehicle and drove off.
- Police
Powell led police to a dead-end street in Malua Bay and attempted to drive down the side of a block of units, where the car became wedged between trees and thick scrub.
Powell and his partner fled from the vehicle on foot into thick swampland.
Inside the vehicle, police found items stolen from Malua Bay Tennis Club earlier that day.
Police found Powell’s partner a short time later, but Powell was not arrested until December 15 after another police chase in a stolen vehicle on the Hume Highway, from Gundagai to Bookham.
Defence solicitor Adam Sumbak told the court Powell’s offending was driven by an addiction to the drug ‘ice’, with his girlfriend encouraging him to commit break and enters and steal cars to obtain money to buy drugs.
Mr Sumbak said Powell was on a “very significant ice binge” at the time of the offences and was willing to do whatever he could to get the next round of drugs.
He said Powell was a promising rugby league player until his mother died when he was 16 and he turned to drugs.
He said Powell had a “significant” criminal record, but aimed to get his life “back on track” after his release.
“He’s aware he needs to overcome his addiction to ice,” Mr Sumbak said.
[He] attempted to drive down the side of a block of units, where the car became wedged between trees and thick scrub.
- Police
Magistrate Doug Dick said the matter was the third pursuit on Powell’s record since 2015. Powell is currently serving time at Goulburn Correctional Centre for the December 2016 police chase.
“These are extremely serious matters,” Mr Dick said.
Powell also faced separate charges which involved theft of a motor vehicle from Queanbeyan Palerang Council, stealing registration plates and breaking into a car between November 28 and December 13, last year.
Mr Dick sentenced Powell to an aggregate sentence of two years’ jail, with a non-parole period of eight months, commencing in February 2018.
Powell also received a $1200 fine.
