A Queensland teen has been banned from driving for life after a high-speed police chase in Gympie.
Brodee Podetti, 18, pleaded guilty in Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Friday as he appeared via video link from Maryborough Correctional Centre to offences including dangerous operation of a vehicle, driving when disqualified and evading police, the Courier Mail reports.
Police Prosecutor Leon Casey told the court Podetti was captured on CCTV footage arriving at a Gympie hotel car park just after 9pm on February 26 2024.
He was already disqualified from driving and the registration plates on the car he was driving belonged to another vehicle, the court heard.
Not long after entering the hotel, Podetti was again shown on CCTV footage driving out of the car park before stopping at a red light behind an unmarked police car.
The court heard the police officer observed Podetti rev the engine several times before running a red light.
The officer turned on the the lights and sirens on his car, but Podetti failed to stop and accelerated away.
Brodee Podetti (pictured) received a head sentence of five years’ imprisonment, and is permanently disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence
Magistrate Edwina Rowan (pictured) told Podetti his previous sentence did not deter him from dangerous driving
Podetti was then observed driving at high speed, swerving into oncoming traffic while doing burnouts and narrowly avoiding collisions with other cars.
The court heard Podetti exceeded the 60 km/h speed limit in the residential area.
Magistrate Edwina Rowan revealed Podetti’s ‘appalling’ driving history, including previous convictions for hooning.
He was disqualified from driving and sentenced to 18 months in prison with immediate release on parole earlier this year.
‘You … ought to have known that by driving a motor vehicle, you placed yourself at very real risk of being returned to custody and sentenced to a further term of imprisonment,’ Ms Rowan said.
‘The only inference that I can draw is that there was a blatant disregard by you both for the orders of the court, the disqualification of your motor vehicle licence … in addition to a blatant disregard for the safety of other road users.’
Magistrate Edwina Rowan revealed Podetti’s ‘appalling’ driving history, including previous convictions for hooning
Podetti’s solicitor told the court the teenager’s father was in hospital for 12 months with a serious brain injury following a motorcycle accident and that Podetti had cared for his father from a young age.
Magistrate Rowan told Podetti: ‘In those circumstances you should be someone who is acutely aware of responsible driving and acting in a way that does not have the potential to harm other users.’
Podetti received a sentence of five years’ imprisonment, and was permanently disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence.
He will be eligible for parole on August 2, 2024 with time served in pre-sentence custody.
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