A car thief led two police chases through seven Canberra suburbs and drove at an officer while trying to evade capture, a court has heard.
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"He's just driven at police," a pursing officer recorded on dash cam said.
Jackson Allred faced the ACT Supreme Court late last week after pleading guilty to numerous charges, including driving a motor vehicle at police, aggravated dangerous driving and dishonestly driving a motor vehicle without consent.
A prosecutor described the length of time the man was running from police in one series of offending on August 14, 2022, being 40 minutes, as "quite remarkable".
The woman who first alerted police said Allred was "all over the road".
"He's passed out and went onto my side of the road, his window's all smashed, his boot's open, he's driving like an idiot," she said.
Agreed facts tendered to the court state the 30-year-old man drove a silver Audi hatchback while exceeding the speed limit, on the wrong side of the road and into oncoming traffic.
He was also driving with a prescribed drug in his oral fluid and on a disqualified license.
In video footage played in court on Friday, Allred is seen driving onto the Monaro Highway's middle median strip to avoid a police blockade and swerving towards an officer in the process.
"He certainly came very close to [hitting the officer]," the prosecutor said.
"He's on the incorrect side of the road and he's heading towards heavy traffic. I'm terminating the pursuit," a police officer said as Allred fled.
Acting Justice Richard Refshauge, who oversees the drug and alcohol sentencing list, accepted the driving at police offending was reckless rather than intentional.
Giving evidence, Allred said he was "pretty embarrassed" by the video footage played in court.
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He said his continued use of illicit drugs made him "make bad decisions" and "commit crimes".
The court heard how he had engaged in a number of educational courses since being in custody, including work and safety construction, asbestos, safe food handling and barista courses.
"I've worked really hard this past year to work on myself," the man said.
Allred is also charged with driving a stolen Ford Territory in Lyneham and crashing the vehicle into a metal guard rail on July 27 of last year, when he ran from the scene.
The offender has spent 172 days in custody relating to all the offending.
He is set to face court again for a sentence hand-down on July 17.
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Tim Piccione
Tim is a journalist with the Canberra Times covering the ACT courts. He came to the nation's capital via the Daily Advertiser in Wagga. Contact: tim.piccione@canberratimes.com.au.
Tim is a journalist with the Canberra Times covering the ACT courts. He came to the nation's capital via the Daily Advertiser in Wagga. Contact: tim.piccione@canberratimes.com.au.
