A man who hit a police car while trying to escape is appealing his sentence of imprisonment.
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Damien Bambridge, 30, appeared at the County Court of Victoria via video link from custody on Tuesday for his appeal hearing.
Bambridge was sentenced to one year and seven months' imprisonment with a 12-month non-parole period at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court in September.
He has already spent 223 days in custody.
Crown Prosecutor Dr Jason Harkess said Bambridge had not held a valid drivers' licence since 2010 but continued to flout road safety laws.
I am amazed even that can't teach someone what the driving rules are there to do.
- Judge Fiona Todd
He said Bambridge was caught driving unlicensed, not wearing a seatbelt and with methylamphetamine in his system in June 2019.
In December 2019 police were called to reports of family violence at a Delacombe address and Bambridge drove toward their vehicle when they entered his court.
Dr Harkess said police positioned their car to block his passage but Bambridge struck the front passenger side of the car and mounted the footpath to pass.
Police approached the damaged car as it was stopped at an intersection, sprayed Bambridge with capsicum spray, attempted to drag him from the car and restrain him.
The court heard Bambridge resisted police and took up a fighting stance so he had to be sprayed a second time to be restrained.
Rifle cartridges, cannabis and cocaine were later found in his car.
Bambridge was bailed with conditions not to drive and a curfew from 9pm to 6am.
Dr Harkess said police saw him driving at a petrol station in the middle of the night in June this year when he sped off, turned his lights off and drove through a red light.
The court heard Bambridge had a 'lengthy' and 'relevant' criminal history including a serious dangerous driving offence in 2015 for which he was imprisoned.
Judge Fiona Todd said she could not understand why Bambridge did not understand the importance of driving rules given he had been severely injured in a serious crash himself in 2013.
"When I was reading the history, I thought this is the kind of person who doesn't have any imagination on what can happen to people in high-speed accidents," she said.
"Then I read he has been on the receiving end of that in a significant crash in 2013. I am amazed even that can't teach someone what the driving rules are there to do."
Defence lawyer Manny Brennan said Bambridge was trying to evade police rather than ram their car during the December incident and he wanted to get his licence back.
He said Bambridge was supported by his partner who he had one child with and also cared for her three other children together.
Mr Brennan said Bambridge was devoted to the family and was actively involved in their lives and his father was diagnosed with bowel cancer, making his time in custody more onerous.
The court heard drug use had been a problem for 'big chunks' of Bambridge's life but he had remained abstinent since December 2019.
Mr Brennan said Bambridge acquired a brain injury in a car crash in 2013 and continued to suffer neck pain and have issues with memory.
He submitted Bambridge should receive a sentence of imprisonment followed by a community corrections order rather than a non-parole period.
Judge Todd said she had not made her decision on the appeal, but Bambridge would be assessed for a community corrections order and return to court on December 9.
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