A car has been driven on the wrong side of the road and through red lights on some of Canberra's major thoroughfares before sliding out of control during a high-speed police chase.
Dale Mitchell Goesch, 31, faced the ACT Magistrates Court last week on numerous charges, including aggravated dangerous driving, using false documents, obtaining financial advantage by deception and multiple counts of unlawful possession of stolen property.
The scaffolder was sentenced on Thursday for three series of offending, the most serious of which involved losing control of a Mazda 2 off the Barton Highway slip road.
The car then slid about 100 metres onto a grassed area.
Goesch, who had already served eight months in custody for his offending, was handed an eight-month intensive correction order to be served in the community.
In what magistrate James Stewart described as a "relatively serious example of aggravated dangerous driving", the man led police on the car chase at about 4am on July 15, 2021.
Goesch, who was previously invited to drive the car by two friends, "accelerated heavily away from police" after being flashed by a flood light in Braddon.
The Mazda was travelling at least 100kmh in 60kmh zones, despite pursuing officers activating emergency lights and sirens.
The offender proceeded to run through a red light and onto the incorrect side of the road while passing through the intersection of Northbourne and Macarthur Avenues.
The Mazda would again cross onto the wrong side of the wrong on Belconnen Way and managed to accelerate away from police, who slowed their speed to 100kmh.
The magistrate said this indicated the man must have been travelling at a "significant speed".
The man and his two passengers quickly turned onto the Barton Highway slip road, causing the car to lose control and slide.
It took a police cordon around the scene just six minutes to find Goesch lying face down in tall grass.
Upon being arrested, the man told police he had taken methamphetamine and denied driving the Mazda.
He was also found in possession of multiple stolen sets of keys and later discovered to be unlicensed and on bail at the time of the offending.
The Mazda was unregistered and uninsured.
Goesch would get into further trouble in December of the same year when he "dishonestly" forged a medical certificate and gave it to police.
Prosecutor Michael Gemmell told the court the offending had been "brazen" and an "unsophisticated attempt" to not comply with bail conditions.
"The quality of the forgery was such that police were immediately suspicious," Mr Gemmell said.
The certificate was said to be "poorly printed" with "some discrepancy in the fonts printed on the paper".
Court documents state the man told officers he had not been able to report to police as per his bail conditions due to medical reasons.
Magistrate James Stewart agreed the forgery had been a "poor attempt" at escaping responsibilities.
On top of time served and a community-based jail term, Goesch was ordered to pay $1500 in fines and will be off the road for 15 months.
The man previously pleaded guilty to all charges except one count of obtaining financial advantage by deception, relating to selling a stolen car to a wrecking yard in August 2022.
Mr Stewart found Goesch guilty of the charge.
When sentencing the offender on Thursday, the magistrate said Geosch should be commended and congratulated for his rehabilitation efforts and finding stable employment.
He said the man had "spiralled" into drug use after the death of his mother.
"The community should be thankful," Mr Stewart said.
"I truly wish you well."
