Bendigo driver pleads guilty to dangerous police chase

Golden Square man Jack Thomas McDonald, 26, appeared in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to charges of dangerous driving while pursued by police and failing to stop.

The court heard about 11.20pm on May 8 this year, police saw McDonald driving a Holden sedan on the McIvor Highway in Strathdale.

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The officers activated lights and sirens in an effort to pull over the 26-year-old, but he sped off, travelling about 100km/h in a 70km/h zone.

McDonald narrowly avoided other motorists and drove on the incorrect side of the road for about 800 metres during the offending.

The court heard the 26-year-old eventually turned down Beischer Street and police pulled out of the chase due to safety concerns.

Officers attended McDonald's Golden Square home and arrested him on May 12. He told police he could not remember the driving and that he had taken drugs prior to the offending.

Defence lawyer Alex McLennan told the court McDonald had been abusing heroin and methamphetamine since the age of 17.

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Mr McLennan said the 26-year-old had stable accommodation but could still benefit from the support and supervision of Corrections Victoria.

Magistrate Trieu Huynh said McDonald's driving was very concerning.

"To say I'm unimpressed would be putting it really mildly," Mr Huynh said. "You had every opportunity to stop.

"This could have been a lot worse. You're lucky no one was seriously injured or killed."

Mr Huynh said while he accepted McDonald had shown remorse through his guilty plea, it was concerning that McDonald could not remember the incident.

The magistrate said he would give the 26-year-old a community corrections order because his rehabilitation would better serve the community in the long run.

McDonald was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order with 100 hours of unpaid community work.

As part of the order, he will have to complete a road trauma awareness course and treatment for drug abuse.

McDonald's licence was also cancelled and he was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

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