A WAGGA man involved in a terrifying street race that ended with his car ploughing into a taxi has been fined $2000 and ordered to perform more than 200 hours of community service.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Bradley Jewell, who turned 21 last month with a possible jail sentence hanging over his head, was sentenced in Wagga Local Court on Monday after pleading guilty to organising a street race, exceeding the speed limit by more than 45 kilometres an hour, driving in a dangerous manner and not giving way at a roundabout.
Undisputed police facts tendered to court said Jewell’s Ford Falcon XR6 and another Falcon flew past a police vehicle parked in Tasman Road at nearly 200km/h.
The police car rocked from side to side as the street racing cars roared by about 2am on December 13.
After police turned on their warning lights, the Falcon leading Jewell’s car flew through the roundabout at the intersection of Tasman Road and the Sturt Highway narrowly missing a taxi.
Jewell and the taxi driver were not as lucky.
Jewell’s car smashed into the taxi on the roundabout, causing extensive damage to both vehicles.
In sentencing Jewell on Monday, magistrate Michael Crompton said: “This is obviously extremely dangerous and objectively serious offending”.
Jewell’s solicitor, David Barron, told Mr Crompton that Jewell had completed the traffic offender’s program conducted by the Police and Community Youth Club.
“It’s been an education for him, and he appreciates that education,” Mr Barron said.
Mr Barron said Jewell was “not hanging around the same fellows he was at the time of the offending behaviour”. He said Jewell realised it was time to live up to his responsibilities.
Mr Crompton sentenced Jewell to two eight-month intensive correction orders (ICO), which will be served concurrently.
Jewell will have to perform 256 hours of community service as part of the ICOs.
Jewell was also fined a total of $2000 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.
Meanwhile, Jewell was also placed on a seven-month ICO after pleading guilty to supplying 29.9 grams of cannabis to undercover police working with Strike Force Calyx last year.
That ICO will run with the two handed out for the driving offences.
Jewell completed to Magistrates Early Referral Into Treatment (MERIT) program to help him tackle his drug use.
.
