A young unlicensed driver who injured two police officers as he tried to flee them has been jailed for almost two years.
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Ashley Wethling, 21, pleaded guilty on Thursday to 21 charges, mostly related to serious driving and car theft offences that occurred in Ballarat from August to October.
He fled police on four occasions, and on one occasion, injured a police officer.
Wethling was sentenced at the Ballarat Magistrates Court to 22 months' jail with a non-parole period of nine months.
Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Lisa Schoemaker said on August 11 about 2.43am two police officers attended a Brown Hill address in Bradbury Street where a vehicle with a flat tyre was parked in a driveway.
She said the police members saw three males inside the unregistered Mitsubishi Magna sedan.
One of the police officers approached the driver’s side to try and get the keys from the ignition but the door was locked.
“The accused started the vehicle and reversed at a fast rate of speed,” Leading Senior Constable Schoemaker said.
“A constable was struck in the stomach area by the driver’s side mirror and the senior constable was stuck between the open passenger door and the body of the vehicle.
“Due to the speed and the accused reversing, the senior constable put his hands up towards the open door and the passenger window smashed over his hands from the impact.”
The senior constable was pushed out of the way by the passenger door, receiving an injury to his left knee.
Leading Senior Constable Schoemaker said Wethling then drove the vehicle towards the senior constable who was required to take evasive action.
She said Wethling continued to rev the vehicle after it became stuck in a garden bed. The senior constable then deployed capsicum spray through the window.
Wethling was eventually arrested after he initially fled on foot.
A medical report was tendered to the court and referred to at times during the plea hearing.
Defence barrister Wendy Duncan said her client had suffered from mental illnesses for a long time.
"He suggested to me he intends to do things but when he lapses into that state he doesn't know what to do so he re-lapses to drugs," Ms Duncan said.
"It will take a long time for him to make a significant change."
Ms Duncan urged the court not to sentence Wethling to a "crushing" sentence.
Magistrate Klestadt accepted Wethling self-medicated in response to childhood trauma, which led to his serious criminal activity.
He told Wethling what happened next depended entirely on him.
Wethling has already served 99 days in custody which is just over three months.