A Canberra man restrained in a citizens' arrest after he was seen driving a stolen van was jailed on Wednesday for six months.
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The dramatic incident unfolded in a public car park in Wanniassa last August, when a member of the public saw Anthony Batcheldor driving a friend's recently stolen van.
When the man yelled out and confronted Batcheldor about the stolen van, he reversed and crashed it into a playground wall.
He kept trying to drive away even as one onlooker opened the van door and the door knocked someone over.
Batcheldor punched one of the men in the face.
When police arrived they found several members of the public restraining Batcheldor on the ground.
He was conscious and breathing, but lying awkwardly and appeared to be injured.
He later admitted he had been under the influence of the drug ice at the time, the court heard.
Batcheldor has been in custody since the August 17 incident.
On Wednesday he appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court to be sentenced, after earlier pleading guilty to driving while disqualified, drug driving, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and driving a stolen car.
The court granted a prosecution request to withdraw a charge of common assault.
The prosecutor detailed Batcheldor's extensive criminal history, which included at least seven convictions for driving while disqualified.
She asked the magistrate to disqualify Batcheldor from driving not just for a period of months but until further court order.
She said he was a danger to the community on the road and had shown a blatant disregard for court orders in the past.
A lawyer for Batcheldor, 26, said that the man had bought the car from an associate not realising that it was stolen.
He said Batcheldor had not heard the cries of a stolen car, and thought the people approaching him were not there for a legitimate reason.
He acknowledged the man's extensive criminal history and his heavy use of the drug ice, but said he had completed drug and alcohol programs while in prison.
Magistrate Bernadette Boss jailed Batcheldor for a total of six months for the crimes, labelling the man a "contumacious offender" when it comes to drug driving crimes.
She disqualified Batcheldor from driving until further court order, to "make sure" he was clear of drugs before getting behind the wheel again.
