Paroled Jesse Ryan pleads guilty to driving on wrong side of road

A driver was on the wrong side of the road in a suburban street when he spotted police and ‘panicked’.

A parolee performing a dangerous manoeuvre on a suburban street saw police and panicked, sparking a chase in East Mackay that culminated in a crash.

Jesse James Ryan, who was released on parole in 2021, had been trying to overtake a vehicle on Bridge Rd – which is a 60km zone – at 11.44pm on May 13 when officers spotted him.

Mackay Magistrates Court heard he “panicked” and sped off “swerving dangerously” from the oncoming traffic lane to the correct side of the road, knowing he was doing the wrong thing while on parole.

The court heard he narrowly missed another vehicle in the process and sped through a red light at the Goldsmith St intersection before colliding with a guard rail after a Juliet St roundabout.

Ryan’s passenger, a woman, claimed she had been the driver.

Before police could breath test her, Ryan owned up to being behind the wheel – he described his driving to officers as “deadly”.

The court heard his licence had expired in Mackay 2020.

Ryan, 23, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving unlicensed.

In August 2021, Ryan was jailed for 2.5 years for grievous bodily harm with immediate parole after punching a childhood friend unconscious and causing bleeding on the brain.

Jesse Ryan was placed on parole after pleading guilty to grievous bodily harm over a one punch incident at Caneland Central.

Legal Aid Queensland solicitor Ancilla Seethya said her client was employed full-time and his employers tendered a reference indicating he would keep his job.

The court heard Ryan wanted to gain employment in the mining industry and also buy a home.

Magistrate Bronwyn Hartigan accepted Ryan had panicked because he was on parole and said it was in his favour he did not let someone else take the fall.

She also labelled the offending as at the lower end for that type of charge.

Ryan was fined $1500 and disqualified for six months. Convictions were recorded.