A man who mounted a footpath and rode his motorcycle past shops at 70km/h to escape police has been jailed for two years.
Levi Christopher Bell, 45, was sentenced in the Supreme Court after pleading guilty to dangerous driving, evading police in aggravated circumstances and driving while disqualified.
The court heard police spotted Bell with a Suzuki motorcycle on Gilbert Street in Latrobe about midday on September 17.
Officers knew Bell was disqualified from driving and activated their lights and sirens when he rode away.
Bell looked back at police but instead of stopping, he accelerated onto the footpath and rode about 150 metres past businesses at between 60km/h and 70km/h.
He then sped through residential streets at about 100km/h – double the speed limit – before police lost sight of him.
Justice Tamara Jago said it was “most fortuitous” no pedestrians were on the footpath at the time.
“… Given the speed at which you were travelling, any collision with a pedestrian could have caused very serious injury,” she said.
Bell was arrested five days later in Ulverstone.
Police found the motorcycle hidden under a blanket in a backyard and a small amount of cannabis on his person.
The court heard Bell had a “very lengthy and concerning” criminal history spanning decades, including multiple convictions for driving while disqualified and a previous conviction for evading police.
He had been released from an eight-month jail term just three months before the September incident.
Justice Jago said Bell appeared “largely institutionalised” and had shown “a complete unwillingness to comply with the law” for many years.
The court heard Bell suffered childhood abuse and had battled drug addiction and mental health issues throughout his adult life.
Justice Jago acknowledged those difficulties but said community protection and deterrence required a substantial sentence.
Bell must serve 16 months before he is eligible for parole.
He will be banned from driving for three years upon his release.
