By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
A DOVETON man, 36, who pleaded guilty to twice driving under the influence – while speeding up to 147km/h in a police pursuit and running red lights – has been jailed for up to 12 months.
An apparently substance-affected Michael Thomas Wilson had run two red right-hand arrows in Langwarrin, hit a truck and sped up to 100 km/h on Cranbourne-Frankston Road in Langwarrin in June 2014, a court was told.
Wilson then pulled over with damage to his unregistered car’s front bonnet on Western Port Highway, Skye.
Police observed he was glassy-eyed, swaying “side-to-side” on his feet, couldn’t answer questions and his emotions were changeable. He refused a breath test.
At the time, Wilson was disqualified for two years for drink-driving, police prosecutor Senior Constable Ryan Johnson told Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 30 May.
A month before the incident, a drunken Wilson caused other drivers to brake to avoid him as he ran a red light at the corner of Heatherton and Westall roads, Springvale.
His car reached up to 147 km/h in a 70 km/h zone as police gave up their light-and-sirens pursuit due to his dangerous driving, the court heard.
In trying to overtake a truck, Wilson collided with a Mazda in the left lane of Heatherton Road, crashed into a farm fence and a mound of dirt.
Police had to smash the car window to stop Wilson trying to drive off, the court was told.
That night, Wilson recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.143.
Wilson also faced a charge of stealing two bottles of vodka from a liquor store, as well as pawning off a phone stolen from a Kew chiropractor’s clinic for $100.
On 2 May this year, Wilson and his partner were found by police inside abandoned premises in Fifth Avenue, Dandenong.
An “aggressive” Wilson refused to provide ID and went into a fighting stance, police alleged.
He was sprayed with OC spray, which had no effect on subduing him. Wilson swung around a children’s bicycle at a police officer, telling him to “come on c***, let’s go”.
During the incident, Wilson punched an officer in the eye and struck another in the mouth with the bike.
He was chased down the street and beaten with a baton to little effect until further back-up units managed to handcuff him.
The Fijian-born Wilson had been heavily using ice since separating from his wife and children 18 months ago, his lawyer Siva Kandasamy told the court.
The accused had drunk heavily since he was 16, Mr Kandasamy said.
Wilson had been a “responsible man” in the past – a keen volunteer at Cornerstone church, street soccer and Rescue Australia, as well as helping indigenous Australians.
“He just made a wrong decision with alcohol and drugs,” the lawyer said.
Mr Kandasamy called for a short jail term given that Wilson had previously breached two community corrections orders for traffic and drink-driving offences.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said it was “unbelievable” no one was killed or seriously injured during the driving incidents.
“You probably don’t have much recollection of it,” Mr Vandersteen told Wilson.
The magistrate said Wilson should not drive until he addressed the underlying causes of his offending.
Wilson was jailed for 12 months, with a non-parole period of five months. The term included 29 days already served in remand.
Wilson was also disqualified from driving for four years and fined $1000.
