Wild car ride ends in court

A FATHER could face significant time behind bars after pleading guilty to a string of offences related to a drug- fuelled tirade where he rammed a police vehicle with his children in the car.

The man, who can’t be named for legal reasons, will be sentenced today for dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, two counts of endangering children by exposure, two counts of failure to stop a motor vehicle, two counts of wilful damage, damaging police property and two counts of assault/ obstruct police.

The 37- year- old pleaded guilty to the charges when he faced Townsville District Court yesterday.

The man took his three young children on a wild drive from Townsville to Ingham about 2am on January 22, 2018.

Crown prosecutor Dominique Orr said the 37- year- old drove dangerously; weaving in and out of traffic, driving on the wrong side of the road and travelling in excess of 150km/ h.

Ms Orr said CCTV footage showed he completed the trip in 38 minutes compared with the average travel time of about 75 minutes.

When the man arrived in Ingham he drove to the police station and began honking the car horn of the Mazda rental vehicle he was driving.

He then instructed one of his children to press the afterhours assistance button at the station. Police arrived to find Pelling acting erratically and they drew their firearms.

“He was initially compliant … ( he) said ‘ I don’t know anything about the police, I just went to court yesterday and somebody is trying to steal my kids’,” Ms Orr said.

“He began questioning the ( officers) asking if they were the ‘ real’ police.”

The court heard the man then jumped back in his car and drove to a service station.

Police followed with lights and sirens.

The father began driving erratically at the service station and police first noticed children were in the car.

Ms Orr said the officers saw one of the children was sitting on the man’s lap and none of the three kids had seat belts on. He eventually came to a stop and police once again tried to calm him, but he continued to question whether or not they were the “real police” and threatened to “blow the officers up”.

The court heard the man rammed the police car twice and reversed into glass doors at the service station before officers were able to reach through an open window and stop the car.

Ms Orr said the 37- year- old attempted to use his child as a shield when police were arresting him.

Defence barrister Harvey Walters said his client’s actions were overridden by delusional thoughts he was having at the time, including that police were trying to kill him and his family.

Mr Walters said his client fell into a paranoid state as a result of drugs he had consumed.

Judge John Coker said the maximum penalty for endangering children by exposure was seven years’ jail.