A man who led police on a high-speed pursuit and only stopped because the car ran out of fuel will spend the rest of the year behind bars.
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Corey Edward Matthew Bennett, of Ashmont, Wagga Wagga, NSW, was last week convicted of 16 offences linked to multiple incidents, including police pursuit, reckless driving and driving while disqualified.
Bennett, 26, was arrested on the side of Old Narrandera Road at Euberta in NSW's Riverina, on May 25 after the blue Ford Falcon he was driving conked out while being pursued by police.
Earlier that day, about 9.30am, officers responding to an unrelated matter saw the car fuelling up at a service station on the Canola Way at Marrar and asked Bennett to get out of the driver's seat.
He refused and drove the car away at speed. A short time later, police said Bennett made a harsh right turn from Easticks Lane onto Marrar South Road at speed, causing the car to sway slightly.
Court documents said if any traffic had been travelling north on Marrar South Road at the time "the result would have been nothing short of catastrophic".
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A pursuit followed and Bennett accelerated from a speed of about 120km/h to more than 170km/h.
Police said the Falcon was seen straddling the centre dividing line, forcing other vehicles to pull to the side of the road.
Due to "an incredibly high, dangerous and serious risk to all others", the pursuit was terminated. The car was last seen by police approaching a blind crest on the incorrect side of the road.
About 10.15am, officers in an unmarked police car spotted the same Falcon travelling west on the Sturt Highway at Collingullie.
The officers followed the vehicle through the Currawarna area and onto Old Narrandera Road at Euberta, where another pursuit began.
The vehicle dodged road spikes and travelled at speeds of more than 130km/h for about 10km until it ran out of fuel. Bennett and two passengers were arrested.
According to police, he told officers that had no intention of stopping the vehicle and only did so because it ran out of fuel. Checks revealed the Falcon's ACT registration plates belonged to a different vehicle.
Bennett was also sentenced over an incident involving the same car the previous day, during which the Falcon almost collided with a police vehicle and drove erratically.
Magistrate Christopher Halburd sentenced Bennett to 15 months' jail, which was backdated to to May 25. He will be eligible for parole in January.
Bennett was also convicted and fined $1400 for using an unregistered and uninsured motor vehicle, and disqualified from holding a driver's licence for four years.
He was also sentenced in relation to previous offences of having housebreaking implements and custody of a knife in a public place.
