A WAGGA man who drove through a red light while drunk and being chased by police has been jailed for five months.
Jason Donnelly, 32, of central Wagga was sentenced this week after previously pleading guilty to driving with a high-range prescribed concentration of alcohol (.162), driving in a dangerous manner, disqualified driving and possessing a prohibited drug (cannabis).
Police facts tendered to the court said Donnelly was pulled over by officers in Kooringal about 10.10am on June 25.
As police were speaking with Donnelly and under the impression he was reaching for his licence, he suddenly drove off.
During the subsequent chase, Donnelly broke the speed limit and drove through a red light.
After Donnelly was arrested, police checks revealed he was disqualified from driving until 2016.
In Wagga Local Court this week, magistrate Michael Antrum read out some of Donnelly's traffic record which included a high-range prescribed concentration of alcohol offence in 2007 and 2008, a mid-range prescribed concentration of alcohol offence in 2011, reckless driving in 2010 and driving while disqualified in 2011.
He said a guideline judgement from the Court of Criminal Appeal indicated that where there was a prior HRPCA offence and increased moral culpability, anything less than full-time custody was generally inappropriate.
Mr Antrum pointed to Donnelly driving while disqualified and running a red light as matters of moral culpability.
Donnelly's solicitor Morgan Jones conceded the guideline judgement but put to Mr Antrum an important mitigating factor was Donnelly now accepting he had a problem with alcohol and being prepared to undergo full-time rehabilitation.
"This has been a catalyst for him to seek treatment," Mr Jones said.
But Mr Antrum said the latest three driving charges were not merely traffic matters.
"These are serious criminal matters, and if you drive with that degree of intoxication it's only a matter of time until a tragedy occurs," he said.
Donnelly was given a head sentence of nine months and a non-parole period of five months for the drink-driving offence.
He was also disqualified from driving for another three years.
For driving in a dangerous manner, Donnelly was placed on an 18-month good behaviour bond and disqualified for three years.
For driving while disqualified, he was placed on a 14-month good behaviour bond and disqualified for two years.
The three driving bans will be served concurrently and will come into effect at the end of the current ban that finishes in 2016.
Donnelly was convicted of possessing the cannabis but no other penalty was given.
