An Orange man who was forced to take evasive action when he drove past a stop sign during a police pursuit has been sentenced to jail in Orange Local Court.
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Shane Daniel McMillan, 39, of Bletchington Street, was driving a Volkswagen Golf at 12.30pm when he attracted the attention of police in Bletchington on July 9.
The police were patrolling the area and when the car passed they recognised McMillan and the vehicle was also registered to him.
They did a u-turn so they could stop him and they turned on their lights and sirens but McMillan accelerated and made no attempt to stop.
An official pursuit was initiated at 12.31pm but McMillan drove through a stop sign at the intersection of Algona Crescent and Spring Street without making any attempt to stop or slow down and a vehicle that had right-of-way was forced to take evasive action to avoid a collision.
Due to the dangerous driving the police terminated the pursuit.
Solicitor Gerry Stapleton said McMillan pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and it was the first time he has committed this type of offence.
"He said when police first observed him he had a passenger in the car," Mr Stapleton said.
"The passenger had just been released from jail and the passenger urged Mr McMillan to continue on."
According to police, the officers went to a house where the car had been stopped before the pursuit started and a resident said McMillan was the only occupant in the vehicle.
Ten days later, police found McMillan playing poker machines at Orange Ex-Services' Club. He had keys to the Volkswagen in his possession and was arrested and taken to Orange Police Station. He was refused bail and had been in jail on remand since July 19.
Mr Stapleton said Mr McMillan now hopes to get his life back on track.
"He was the victim of a violent break and enter and received a serious head injury," he said.
Mr Stapleton said that injury to his brain has led him to be impulsive and to exhibit irrational decision making but there are some prospects of rehabilitation.
Magistrate David Day said McMillan was on Community Correction Orders at the time of the offence that will still be in place when he is released from jail, and he also has a record for drug supply.
"The pursuit was dangerous, particularly at an intersection he was driving at a speed that was dangerous," Mr Day said. "It would seem that drugs form an important part of Mr McMillan's life.
Mr Day gave McMillan a seven-month full-time jail sentence with a four-month non-parole period back dated to July 19, giving him a potential realease date of November 18. He also disqualified his driver's licence for 12 months.
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