Young man sentenced for ramming police car

"General and specific deterrence is of great importance in this case," Magistrate Noreen Toohey said.

A police officer was forced to take cover behind a letterbox when a 19-year-old drove towards him and rammed a police car with his colleague inside last year.

Tyron Mcginnes, now 20, was sentenced at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Thursday and will be required to serve further time in prison.

Ms Toohey said sadly the offence of aggravated reckless exposure of police to risk by driving was frequently coming before the courts.

She said people were stealing cars and driving them, putting police officers and members of the public at serious risk.

"There is no question this offending is of a very serious nature," she said.

The court heard Mcginnes and a co-accused stole two cars owned by a couple in their 80s from a Ballarat home in April 2020.

Mcginnes was on bail at the time and had been released from serving a five-month prison sentence 20 days earlier.

Police were out looking for the stolen car about 12.20am two days later when they saw the accused and co-accused standing next to the car in Brown Hill.

Mcginnes got in the car and drove it towards the police vehicle. An officer who was outside of the car was yelling at them to stop, taking cover behind a letterbox.

Mcginnes rammed the rear passenger side of the police car with a police officer inside, causing $3000 damage to the car and writing off the victim's car.

Police found Mcginnes in possession of GHB when he was arrested.

Mcginnes also pleaded guilty to making a false police statement to police about his involvement in a crime allegedly committed by a man he shared a unit with in prison.

A psychological report revealed Mcginnes was diagnosed with ADHD, obsessive compulsive disorder and disorders related to drug use and gambling.

The report writer said Mcginnes appeared to have little insight and self-awareness.

Ms Toohey said Mcginnes had demonstrated remorse by his guilty plea and she took into account the psychologist's indication he had an impaired ability for consequential thinking.

"At 20-years-old with an 11-page prior criminal history, he must engage in treatment to deal with issues," she said.

"If he fails to engage with services, fails to deal with his drug use and continues to associate with other offenders he will sadly spend the rest of his life in and out of prison.

"If he continues to use drugs he risks death or serious injury to himself."

Corrections Victoria assessed Mcginnes unsuitable for a community corrections order due to his recidivism, unwillingness to change and his plans to return to his old accommodation and associations.

But Ms Toohey said she would place him on a community corrections order to provide supervision and treatment in the community.

Mcginnes was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment on the charge of aggravated reckless exposure of police officers to risk, with 261 days already served.

He will begin an 18-month community corrections order upon his release with supervision, assessment and treatment for drug abuse and mental health issues, offending behaviour programs and judicial monitoring.

Mcginnes was disqualified from driving for two years.

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