A MAN who crashed his car, flipping it on its roof, while trying to evade police has received a 10-month suspended jail sentence and been told to seize the opportunity to turn his life around.
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Jack Mullins, 21, was before magistrate Michael Allen in Bathurst Local Court to answer a charge of police pursuit – not stopping, driving recklessly, driving while disqualified and driving with an illicit drug present in his blood.
Mullins was represented by barrister Mr Simpson, who told Mr Allen the matter was difficult.
“The threshold hasn't been crossed, but it’s borderline,” he said.
Mr Simpson told the court his client had stayed out of trouble in recent days and had his life on track.
“He has had his mental health reviewed, is now on anti-depressants, and is dealing with the underlying problems,” he said.
Mr Allen said he had watched Mullins over the past 12 months.
“And I could be wrong, but I think you're starting to join the dots. It’s not them out there, it’s you,” he said.
Mr Allen said a lot of people have a tough start in life and they fail no matter how much intervention there is.
He said from where he sits [on the bench], “they are angry and they remain angry”.
“If you do that [remain angry], you will fail as sure as night follows day,” he said.
But he said if Mullins could let the anger go, change was possible.
“It wasn’t your fault you had a terrible childhood," he said. “The start you got was different to the start I got or your barrister got.
“What you’ve got to come to terms with is your life is your life. You’ve survived your childhood, been in and out of juvenile detention and jail. You’ve survived that. You have the integrity and strength and ability to survive it, which shows capacity for change.
“You’ve got a woman who supports you, a house and a job, you’ve got a future if you want to knuckle down and be someone other than a criminal.
“I’m going to suspend the sentence. If you breach it, I will lock you up.”
Mr Allen convicted Mullins, placing him on a 10-month Section 12 suspended sentence and disqualifying him from driving for two years. He was also fined $600 for driving while disqualified, and disqualified from driving for two years (concurrent). For driving with illicit drugs in his system, he was convicted, fined $300 and disqualified from driving for six months (concurrent).