Erice James Forrest, 31, of Wilbertree Road, Mudgee, was driving two passengers to Orange in a stolen Nissan X-TRAIL on the Mitchell Highway at 2.30pm on February 17, 2021, when the SUV attracted the attention of the police and a pursuit started.

Forrest sped up and turned left into the Orange Homemaker Centre car park where he reached 90km/h on the access road and continued into South Terrace and Sir Neville Howse Place.

A female passenger got out in Sir Neville Howse Place and the vehicle accelerated harshly for a short distance before a man opened the front passenger side door and fell out of the moving vehicle.

As the pursuit continued, Forrest drove on the wrong side of the road in Lone Pine Avenue and Bathurst Road and the pursuit was called off due to the danger to the public.

Forrest again sped through the car park and witnesses waved police in his direction.

The pursuit later resumed but was called off again after Forrest drove 100km/h in the Bathurst Road 50km/h zone overtaking other vehicles.

Police spoke with the passengers and Forrest was arrested about an hour later in South Bathurst near the parked X-TRAIL.

Magistrate David Day gave him a total two-year and six-month jail term with an 18-month non-parole period for the pursuit, driving while disqualified and dangerous driving in Orange Local Court last Monday.

The jail sentence was back-dated to July 1, 2021, due to time spent in custody.

Mr Day also gave Forrest a two-year Community Correction Order for having a carving knife in his possession when he was arrested, and he gave him a 12-month CCO for possession of three strips of Buprenorphine prescription medication.

Mr Day also disqualified Forrest's driver's licence for two years for dangerous driving and the pursuit, and 12 months for driving while disqualified.

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