Repeat offender faces court

A NORLANE man who was ordered by a court not to drive while on bail but got behind the wheel affected by drugs has faced court.

Brent James, 30, was speeding at 118km/h on Portarlington Rd, Leopold in July, 2020, when he fled police. About 15 minutes later James, behind the wheel of an orange Ford ute, crashed into a power pole and became angry when paramedics tried to help him because he was trapped, court documents reveal. His injuries were so bad he was admitted to ICU at the Alfred.

Court documents state James flew into a fit of rage at a South Geelong rented home in February, 2020, where he threw a glass bottle at a landlord, after he went looking for a bike.

“(James) shaped up to the victim and began throwing punches at him. (James) punched the victim to the nose and to the side of face and jaw,” court documents read.

James pleaded guilty to recklessly causing injury, unlicensed driving, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, drug-driving, failing to stop driving on police direction, speeding and using a carriage service to harass.

On March 7, 2020, James was again behind the wheel on the Princes Highway, North Geelong and drug-affected when police tried to stop him.

As James fled police at speed, with another person in the car, he crashed into a telephone pole. A blood test later revealed he had ice in his system.

James’s lawyer Tim McCulloch told the Geelong Magistrates Court on Thursday his client had an acquired brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and ADHD.

“He is a person who is still able to appreciate the wrongness of his conduct,” Mr McCulloch said.

“These matters of violence are conceded to have an impact. There is some room for an element of mercy.”

Mr McCulloch asked Magistrate Ann McGarvie to consider a non-custodial sentence.

James is due to return to a Koori Court on November 11.