A 28-year-old man has pleaded guilty to fleeing from the police in a high-speed car chase near Glen Innes on Wednesday.
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When he crashed the car through a fence, he then tried to make a run for it, leaving his female passenger clutching a young child.
The police caught him and he appeared in Armidale Local Court on what police said were “driving charges after an alleged pursuit with a woman and child in the car in the New England Region”.
Court records named the man as Damian Tucker.
He was sentenced by Magistrate Michael Holmes to 18 months in prison with no possibility of parole until July 17 next year. He was also banned from driving for three years.
The offences happened in the early afternoon of Wednesday. Police say they were patrolling Gwydir Highway near Glen Innes when they tried to stop a Mazda sedan for a breath test.
The car took off and the police gave chase until the driver – Damian Tucker – lost control and crashed on Sturmans Road, Swan Vale. His female passenger and a baby were inside.
The police said the pursuit ended “due to dangerous driving.” Tucker left the crashed car and tried to get away on foot but was caught. The police found the woman holding the child.
Both 28-year-old Tucker and his 30-year-old female passenger were arrested and taken to Glen Innes Police Station.
Tucker was charged with driving dangerously and at speed, driving while disqualified, fleeing from police in pursuit (Skye’s Law), driving under the influence of drugs, causing malicious damage and entering enclosed land.
The woman was released without charge.