A woman who drove through Bolton Park in an attempt to evade police following a dangerous pursuit through Central Wagga earlier this year has been jailed.
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Brittany Taylor Harmer was this week sentenced to 10 months behind bars for her involvement in the chase, during which police said the 25-year-old posed an "extreme danger" to other drivers and pedestrians.
Harmer was charged with multiple offences following the incident.
According to court documents, police had earlier been alerted to two people changing the number plates on a white Mitsubishi sedan at Harmer's Shaw Street address about 11am on June 25.
Checks revealed the number plates had been stolen.
Officers spotted the car a short time later and tried to pull it over. A pursuit began but it was terminated after the car travelled onto the wrong side of Forsyth Street, towards an oncoming taxi.
Patrolling officers later saw the car on Edward Street, where it mounted the kerb and travelled across Bolton Park into Higgins Avenue.
Numerous police converged on the location and saw four people - including Harmer - running towards the Murrumbidgee River. All four were arrested.
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Harmer told officers she owned the car and was driving at the time of the pursuit.
She also admitted to stealing the number plates off a vehicle in Ashmont and putting them on her car to avoid being stopped. Checks showed the Mitsubishi's rego had expired.
Police said Harmer was unable to follow instructions when spoken to and officers believed she was heavily affected by drugs.
She told officers she had consumed methamphetamine prior to driving and was taken to hospital for blood and urine tests.
Harmer was charged with seven offences - police pursuit not stop; drive recklessly, furiously or at speed or manner dangerous; using an unregistered motor vehicle on the road; using an uninsured motor vehicle; using a motor vehicle with an unauthorised number plate attached; larceny; and having an expired licence.
On Tuesday, Magistrate Christopher Halburd convicted Harmer, who was already in custody, of the police pursuit and sentenced her to 10 months' jail with a non-parole period of five months.
The sentence was backdated to June 25 and she will be released to parole on November 24.
She has been disqualified from holding a driver's licence for four years.
Harmer was also convicted of the reckless driving offence and placed on a supervised 12-month community correction order, under which she must abstain from both alcohol and illicit drugs.
She was convicted of each of the other charges and fined a total of $1300.
Andrew Pearson
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
Andrew grew up in the western Riverina town of Hay and has strong ties to the region. He is a former DA journo who has a passion for breaking news and has covered everything from council and politics to crime and court.
