A magistrate has been urged to come down hard on a young driver, with police saying restrictions on them giving chase meant it was up to the courts to send a clear message.
Lachlan Christopher Anderson faced the Gympie court on Friday, June 9, after he sped off when police tried to pull him over on December 20, 2022.
The court heard Anderson was on parole at the time.
He was driving near the intersection of Brisbane and Red Hill Roads about 6pm when police tried to stop him, but he drove away at speed, crossing over the top of a painted traffic island in the process.
Police prosecutor Mel Campbell urged the court to send a clear message to Anderson, who she said had a “terrible” traffic history and his criminal one was not impressive either.
“Nothing … is deterring him,” Sgt Campbell said.
She stressed that, since powers allowing police to give chase had been gutted, the courts were now the only way to send a serious message anyone who sped away from officers.
“(It’s the) only way to send a message to peer groups and the community at large,” Sgt Campbell said.
Anderson’s lawyer told the court his client had most recently been working in the civil construction industry, but was not currently employed.
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Lachlan Christopher Anderson, 20, had already accumulated a two-page long history of traffic offences since he had been given his licence, Gympie Magistrates Court was told.
The evasion was one of three driving related charges Anderson pleaded guilty to.
He was also caught driving with a demerit point-suspended licence on September 20, 2022, and in charge of a car while under the influence of prescription drugs found behind the wheel in the carpark of Gympie’s McDonald’s restaurant about 3am on February 28, 2023.
Ms Ellis accepted his pleas, and then blasted him.
“Your actions on this occasion were utterly stupid,” Ms Ellis said as she handed down his sentence.
Police prosecutor Mel Campbell asked Gympie Magistrates Court to send a clear message with its punishment of Lachlan Christopher Anderson, 20, for evading police, saying it was the only recourse left since police powers to pursue had been heavily restricted.
“Even the best drivers make bad decisions on the spur of the moment that lead to death.
“You were putting every other road user’s lives at risk.
Ms Ellis told Anderson that, had he killed someone when he sped away from police, “we would be sitting here talking about how many years in jail (you would be serving)”.
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“For someone who has had their licence for a limited period of time you have a two page traffic history.”
Ms Ellis then slapped the 20-year-old with a $7187.57 fine, placed him on probation and ordered him to carry out 60 hours of community service.