June 15, 2020
A 30-year-old man man who sped away from police, almost causing a high-speed collision with an unmarked police vehicle, has been sentenced to six months’ jail.
Samuel James Woodward pleaded guilty to nine charges – including dangerous operation of a vehicle and evading police – via videolink in Kingaroy Magistrates Court on Monday morning.
Police prosecutor Sgt Pepe Gangemi said police spotted an unregistered dark blue Hyundai parked in Victoria Street, Kingaroy, at 11:30pm on Anzac Day.
At 1:35am the next day, police saw the same vehicle which then accelerated rapidly away from them into Prince Street, Kingaroy.
Another police unit turned into Harris Road and attempted to intercept the vehicle.
The Hyundai continued along Harris Road before turning right into Redmans Road.
Detectives in an unmarked CIB vehicle travelling on the D’Aguilar Highway at 100km/h then came across the vehicle at the Redmans Road intersection.
The Hyundai caused the CIB vehicle to brake heavily and swerve to avoid a potential high-speed collision.
Police, with lights and sirens activated, again attempted to intercept the vehicle but it took off, travelling “multiple times” on the wrong side of the D’Aguilar Highway before turning into Sommerfields Lane where police stopped following.
Police later caught up with Woodward who resisted arrest and had to be wrestled to the ground.
“You were on warrants and when confronted by police who attempted to pull you over, you decided to drive away from them at high speed, imposing a significant danger to yourself and other people,” Magistrate Andrew Sinclair said.
“People who are on warrants … must understand that to drive away will get them a prison sentence of substantial nature otherwise they will have no motivation to surrender themselves and instead put the public at risk, which is what you did.”
Mr Sinclair sentenced Woodward to six months’ jail for dangerous driving and he was disqualified from holding a driver’s licence for two years.
He will be released on parole on August 14.
