Nathan Smith, 35, was sentenced for his dangerous and reckless drug-fuelled conduct at the County Court of Victoria on Wednesday.

Judge Justin Hannebery said it was only due to good luck and the three police officer's evasive actions that they were not seriously injured in the incident.

Smith had stolen a ute from a Ballarat East address in October 2019 and police saw the ute parked at an Alfredton motel 12 days later.

Smith, who was also wanted by police for questioning about another incident, had arrived at the motel earlier with two others to book a room.

Police called for backup, formulated an arrest plan and blocked all entry and exit points to the motel carpark with their car and a van belonging to another motel occupant.

Smith jumped in his car after seeing police, sped towards the van which the police officers were standing in front of, causing them to jump out of the way to avoid being hit.

Smith rammed the bonnet of the van before reversing and hitting another car parked behind.

He sped forward again, narrowly avoiding hitting the three officers and the motel owner, before smashing into the van a second time.

The court heard the motel owner feared for his life and for the safety of the police officers.

He reversed, hitting the same car again and pushing it back into another parked car, before ramming the van for a third time.

Police deployed capsicum spray through a crack in an open window and used their batons to smash the windows to the car.

Smith's car became lodged in the bonnet of the van and he continued revving and trying to push it forward to escape.

A police officer reached through the window to hit Smith with his baton and Smith climbed over to the back where he began unwrapping an item police later found to be a firearm.

He was dragged from the car and arrested. Police found drugs and ammunition in his pocket that could be used in the firearm.

The firearm had been stolen in a burglary in May and police found Smith was unlicensed, drug-affected and had a hunting knife in the car.

"Exposing an emergency worker to risk by driving is an inherently serious offence," Judge Hannebery said during his sentencing remarks.

"Your actions created a substantial possibility one or more of those officers could have been seriously injured.

"You deliberately drove in a confined space to where police members were standing in front of a van.

"You had a willingness to grab this weapon at a time you were in violent defiance of police direction."

The court heard Smith had a good childhood, a supportive family, was a carpenter, had his own business, had built his own home and had three children with his ex-partner.

This was before he went on a drug-induced downward spiral, separated from his partner and experienced feeling psychotic and paranoid due to daily heavy drug use.

"You were 29-years-old before you had been dealt with for any matter by the court at all," Judge Hannebery said.

"This is consistent with a narrative of a steep, ice-fuelled descent."

Judge Hannebery said he remained optimistic for Smith's rehabilitation despite the gravity of his offending.

Smith was sentenced to a total period of four years and nine months' imprisonment with a three year and three month non-parole period.

Judge Hannebery said if not for Smith's plea of guilty, he would have imposed a sentence of six years, with a four year and six months non-parole period.

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