David John Roach pleads guilty to dangerous operation, evading police

A man with eight prior licence disqualifications has appeared in court on dangerous driving charges after leading police on a pursuit through Ipswich.

An Ipswich man has been jailed over a series of offences relating to a police pursuit.

A man leapt from the driver’s seat of a stolen Toyota HiLux, leaving it to roll driverless into an innocent person’s yard as police took chase.

An Ipswich court this week heard how David Roach then fled onto a roof before eventually being arrested.

When he went before an Ipswich court a concerned magistrate begged him on behalf of the community to make life changes or risk wasting away in jail.

David John Roach, 30, from Bundamba, appeared from jail via video-link before Ipswich Magistrates Court for sentence and pleaded guilty to 11 charges including two counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle at One Mile or elsewhere on Saturday June 26; evading police; three counts of driving when disqualified; fraud; receiving tainted property; unlawful use of a stolen vehicle; and causing common nuisance.

Prosecutor Sergeant Nicholas Turnbull said seven offences occurred on the same day in what had been “a rolling event”.

He said Roach was on parole at the time for dangerous driving and other charges, and he also had eight prior licence disqualifications.

Sgt Turnbull said the dangerous operation was somewhat protracted and there had also been the irregular way in which Roach left the vehicle, letting it roll down the hill and into a yard.

“He jumps out while it is moving. He is lucky not to have hurt himself isn’t he. Incredibly reckless,” Magistrate Dennis Kinsella said.

Defence lawyer Dylan Hans sought a sentence of between 12 and 15-months jail with immediate eligibility to begin his parole application, saying he’d been in custody three weeks.

“It is a sad story. He is a person who is heading towards recidivism. Really risking being institutionalised,” Mr Hans said.

While acknowledging that Roach would spend some time in jail before his parole was processed, Mr Kinsella said there would be people in the Ipswich community thankful that he was not out on the roads, and that the community was protected.

He said CCTV shows him speeding, driving onto the wrong side of the road and even going through a stop sign in a reckless manner.

He said jumping from the moving ute was deliberate and dangerous, and something that might be seen in films, or even described by some as being “a great stunt”.

“Would you like to be out on the roads when your client is out,” Mr Kinsella asked.

“I won’t comment,” Mr Hans said.

Mr Kinsella took into account that Roach was serving jail penalties in excess of five years and this had to be considered.

He said that he failed to seek professional psychological help as previously ordered by the court, and Roach should ask himself that if he had, would he now be sitting in a jail cell.

Roach was sentenced to varying jail penalties including 12 months, nine months, and two months, and disqualified from driving for three years.

“I beg you on behalf of the community, seriously, to make a change. To fix it or you will likely spend the rest of your life in and out of jail,” Mr Kinsella said.

“I understand. I will try,” Roach said.