How treatment helped keep an offender away from the justice system

A man whose car became airborne when he hit a roundabout while driving under the influence of cannabis did not re-offend for almost four years after the incident after receiving treatment.

The man, who The Courier will not name because he avoided a conviction, pleaded guilty at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Tuesday to careless driving, driving while suspended, drug driving and other charges.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Steve Repac said the man was driving on Eureka Street in Ballarat East in November 2018 when he drove into a raised traffic island before a roundabout and hit two traffic signs.

He then continued straight into the middle of the roundabout, becoming airborne and colliding with a power pole which brought him to a stop.

The driver was taken to hospital for treatment and analysis showed he had cannabis in his system.

The court heard there was an earlier driving incident in August 2018 when the man was driving on Eureka Street and side swiped another car.

He left a note on the victim's car and a witness saw he was dazed and had blood on his face, then watched him get back in the car and slowly drift in and out of his lane, driving 10km/h in an 80km/h zone.

Police later saw him driving 20km/h with a line of traffic behind him and he kept driving slowly despite police activating their lights and sirens.

The driver later pulled over, was swaying, appeared stunned and had a split lip and blood on his face from an earlier altercation in Sebastopol.

Police found his licence was suspended and his car had a flat tyre and a smashed windscreen.

A lawyer from a Melbourne health justice partnership said her client had significant mental health issues and had previously used drugs to cope with day to day life.

She said he had been supported by a psychologist and lawyers through the firm and had done what he could to avoid involvement with the criminal justice system since 2018.

Magistrate Hugh Radford said he took into account there had been no further, despite the fact his driving was serious and put himself and other road users at risk.

The man was disqualified from driving for six months and sentenced to a 12-month adjourned undertaking, which is a promise to the court to continue treatment and not commit further offences.

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