Sarah Tanna overtook cars on wrong side of the road in attempted police getaway

The red ute repeatedly overtook cars on the wrong side of the road on Gympie streets and sped through residential estates, but the 34-year-old woman driving it could not outrun the long arm of the law.

Sarah Tanna drove dangerously through a residential estate and repeatedly overtook cars on the wrong side of the road in a brazen attempt to get away from police in June last year.

When she was spotted by police driving unlicensed, a young Gympie woman repeatedly overtook cars on the wrong side of the road and sped through residential estates to avoid being picked up.

The Gympie Magistrates Court heard last Thursday (August 5) that Sarah Tanna, 34, drove dangerously in a red Holden commodore utility after being detected on Stumm Rd at Southside on June 6 last year.

Sarah Tanna drove dangerously through a residential estate and repeatedly overtook cars on the wrong side of the road in a brazen attempt to get away from police in June last year.

As police tried to stop her, Tanna evaded them and “heavily accelerated”, driving on the wrong side of the road and overtaking a car in the process.

Tanna made her way on to Bushland Drive and continued driving dangerously through a nearby residential estate, where prosecuting Sergeant Michael Phillips said there was a high volume of families with young kids living.

Tanna turned right on to Glastonbury Rd and continued accelerating away from pursuing police, once again overtaking vehicles on double white lines and cresting hills where there was little to no visibility of oncoming traffic in that direction, the court heard.

Police eventually caught up with Tanna and searched her vehicle, finding a flick knife in her bag.

Tanna was arrested and taken to a police station, where she refused to give an interview.

Solicitor Chris Anderson told the court his client had been introduced to drugs through a relationship, and had last worked “in a voluntary capacity” about 10 years ago.

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Magistrate Chris Callaghan said Tanna “drove at high speeds to get away from police” and was fortunate not to be charged with evasion.

“You don’t care about the law,” Mr Callaghan said, noting Tanna’s late guilty plea.

Tanna pleaded guilty to driving unlicensed as a repeat unlicensed driver, unlawfully possessing the flick knife and dangerous operation of a vehicle on a public road.

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For the dangerous operation offence Mr Callaghan sentenced Tanna to six months’ jail, suspended for 18 months.

She was given concurrent jail sentences of 1 month and 7 days for the other offences, and banned from driving for six months.