A man who is already in jail for driving dangerously around the Ballarat region for almost three hours while tracked by police vehicles and airwing has admitted to further instances of rogue driving.
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Thomas Dylan Smith did not have a drivers' licence and was on a community corrections order when he sped off from police during the night on October 8, 2020 with his headlights off.
He sped through intersections failing to slow down or give way causing police to cease the pursuit.
Smith had originally driven on a nature strip to escape from police officers who had parked their vehicle in front of him in a Delacombe carpark.
It was a week later on October 15, 2020 when Smith evaded police for two hours and 45 minutes through Buninyong, areas of Ballarat, Ross Creek and Enfield while police attempted to intercept him.
In Sebastopol he narrowly avoided colliding with a police car and multiple civillians as he turned into Albert Street before he sped through a supermarket car park and several side streets at an estimated 70 km/h.
Other dangerous driving behaviour on that date included driving at a police car, causing detectives to jump out of the way while deploying stop sticks, and driving on the wrong side of the road.
Smith was sentenced to five years in prison with a non-parole period of three-and-a-half years at the County Court in December 2021 for that offending committed on October 15, 2020.
He pleaded guilty at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Friday to the driving offending committed a week earlier on October 8, 2020 and will be sentenced this week.
Defence lawyer Jon Irwin said any term of imprisonment imposed for this offending should be served concurrently and not affect Smith's current release date.
"It occurred in the shadows of the more serious offending, it has the same driving away from police without a licence overtones," he said.
Magistrate Ron Saines will read material provided at the County Court hearing before deciding on a sentence.
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Rochelle Kirkham
Rochelle covers court and has a particular interest in social issues including homelessness, food security and family violence.
Rochelle covers court and has a particular interest in social issues including homelessness, food security and family violence.
