Repeat offender returned to prison

JUST 12 days after he was released on parole, Luke Anthony Scott ran afoul of the law once again when he endangered the lives of motorists and police across Toowoomba.

The terrifying incident began on the morning of October 26, Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told, when the 30-year-old ran a red light and crossed onto the wrong side of the road, narrowly avoiding a collision with another vehicle.

Police prosecutor Jessica Lynch told the court police spotted Scott in his ute and when they approached he locked the doors of the vehicle.

“Police have attempted to gain entry by using batons to try and break both the passenger and driver’s side windows, while telling him to get out of the car, and he didn’t comply with the directions,” she said.

The court was told Scott then drove through a nearby fence and crashed into a carport before fleeing the scene, causing officers to take evasive action to avoid being hit.

Sergeant Lynch said throughout the day Scott ran red lights, drove dangerously into oncoming traffic at speeds of up to 100km/h on the wrong side of the road through busy Toowoomba streets before eventually crashing into a ditch on the Warrego Highway about 11.03pm.

Scott’s lawyer Stephen Kissick said while his client had previously spent periods of time incarcerated, this time he had “taken a genuinely close look at himself” during his 191 days of pre-sentence custody.

Mr Kissick said his client, a father of four, was committed to addressing drug issues that had plagued him since he was a teenager.

Acting magistrate Rob Turra said Scott’s actions showed a “complete disregard to the safety of the community”, and sentenced him to three years jail, with immediate parole eligibility.