Joshua Thomas Johnson pleads guilty to dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, fraud

A man who was wearing a GPS tracker by court order was later proven to have been speeding courtesy of the data captured from the monitoring device.

A police vehicle sustained more than $10,000 in damage when an Ipswich man crashed into it while trying to avoid a breath test. (AAP Image/Richard Walker)

A demand for $10,000 in damages from a reckless driver who slammed into a police car has proven fruitless, with an Ipswich court hearing the offender would not be able to cover the cost.

Unlicensed driver Joshua Johnson faced Ipswich Magistrates Court, where it was heard he was sleeping in a car when police woke him for a breath test.

The court was told he refused to open the door for police, instead putting the car into reverse and speeding off, crashing into the police car in the process and causing three officers to dive out of the way.

In a separate incident, Johnson was wearing a GPS tracking device when his motorcycle sped past police, with a court hearing his electronic device recorded his speed.

Appearing from jail via video-link for sentence, Joshua Thomas Johnson, 33, from Leichhardt, pleaded guilty to 41 charges including 17 frauds; two counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle; two counts of entering premises to steal; three counts of unlawful use of stolen motor vehicles; receiving a stolen bankcard in August 2019; two counts of using registration plates that belong to other vehicles; being a driver who did not comply with duties to remain at the scene of an accident; obstructing police; possession of dangerous drugs; and possession of drug utensils.

Prosecutor Sergeant Rose Molinaro said police sought a restitution order of $10,469 for the damage caused to the police car on September 27 last year.

Sgt Molinaro said police found Johnson asleep in a parked Mitsubishi Lancer at 3am in a Goodna street.

When woken he started the ignition and reversed rapidly, the Lancer crashed into the police car before being driven off at excessive speed, the court heard.

Just weeks earlier on July 17 at 10.25pm, Johnson had been riding a yellow Suzuki motorcycle with no registration plates when he passed a police patrol on Collingwood Drive at Redbank.

Sgt Molinaro said a GPS device fitted to his ankle as part of a court order recorded his speed at 146km/h at New Chum.

Crew on-board a police helicopter tracked him to a house at Leichhardt.

Sgt Molinaro said the court could take into account 267 days he had spent in jail awaiting sentence.

Defence lawyer Amy Zanders acknowledged Johnson had a 12-page criminal history.

She said the Ipswich-born man intended to move away from the area after his release.

She said he could not afford to pay the significant amount of restitution being sought.

Magistrate Andy Cridland noted that when woken up Johnson was warned not to start the engine but after assuring the officers that he would not do that, he did.

Johnson was sentenced to a total of 18-months jail for the offences.

He was given immediate eligibility to begin his parole application.

He received a series of licence disqualifications. He was not ordered to pay restitution.