Pizza shop customer leads cops on high-speed chase

A MAN who was estimated to have reached up to 100km/h in a busy street to hide from police has been banned from driving for three years and will not serve time behind bars.

Deeon Shannon Bruce

Goodale attempted to flee police after leaving a pizza shop on a busy Thursday night in March last year.

The court heard police were forced to stop pursuing the vehicle he was driving dangerously in Wilmington Street when he reached estimated speeds of 100km/h and switched off his headlights.

Goodale pleaded guilty to 26 charges including two counts of driving without a licence repeat offender, one count each of evasion and dangerously operating a vehicle when he appeared in Ayr Magistrates Court.

Police prosecutor Codie Rowe said the registered owner of the vehicle was a passenger at the time when Goodale drove to and from the pizza shop.

Mr Rowe said Goodale also damaged a glass sliding door and a vehicle in a separate incident when he was searching for another person.

The court heard Goodale’s protracted offending occurred over several months with the first offence occurring in February 2019.

Defence solicitor Adam Mussap made submissions for fines and less penalties given his client had already served 312 days behind bars.

Acting Magistrate Scott Luxton told Goodale his offending was “continual unlawful conduct on your part”.

Goodale was disqualified from driving for three years and sentenced to nine months’ and 20 days prison, released on immediate parole.

He was also fined $800 for the two counts of wilful damage, trespass and two counts of drive without a licence and ordered to pay $768 restitution.

Convictions were recorded.