Hellish driver sent to jail

A CAREER criminal with a horrific driving record spanning two decades and encompassing dozens of car theft convictions has been jailed for evading police and other crimes.

In April, Michael George Smith, 36, thought “to hell with it” and proceeded to steal a vehicle from Lindisfarne in broad daylight.

He then lead police on an extensive car chase throughout Hobart.

What followed, according to Deputy Chief Magistrate Michael Daly, was a lengthy episode of dangerous driving.

Smith ignored red lights, evaded police, sped, hit another car’s side mirror while driving between two stationary vehicles, mounted the kerb and crossed over a grass median strip.

He lost control of his vehicle at one point and successfully manoeuvred around road spikes laid by police.

“Fortunately, a second set of road spikes successfully punctured the ... tyres of the stolen vehicle and stopped his car on Bowen Road East,” Mr Daly said during sentencing after Smith pleaded guilty.

The court heard Smith, who has never held a driver’s licence and was barred from applying for one until November 2018, stole the car on impulse.

“He thought ‘ to hell with it’ and decided to take the vehicle,” Mr Daly said.

“He said that he did not stop in response to the police lights and sirens because he did not want to.”

After a police blood test, Smith was found to have cannabis in his system at the time.

The court heard Smith had an extensive history of drug abuse. This included abusing alcohol, opiates, amphetamines and prescription drugs.

A medical report found he suffered from issues stemming from childhood trauma, “longterm neglect, institutionalisation and the negative influences of criminogenic peers”.

Lawyers for Smith attempted to have him placed on a drug treatment order which sees offenders diverted from prison to undergo rehab.

But Mr Daly decided against this due to Smith’s high risk of reoffending and “the resulting potential danger to the community”.

“[He] has shown a continu- ing . . . disobedience of the law, demonstrated by his propensity to steal cars, to drive them dangerously, while disqualified and with drugs in his body,” Mr Daly said.

“Retribution, deterrence and the protection of society all indicate that a severe penalty is warranted.”

Smith was sentenced last month to three years jail with a non-parole period of 18 months.

He was disqualified from driving until November 2020.