Mechanic Kurtis Smith pleads guilty to evading police, crime spree

A Sunshine Coast mechanic will need a new line of work after copping a whopping driving ban for continually driving while disqualified including during a police chase in a car listed as stolen.

Kurtis Brian Smith faced Maroochydore Magistrates Court by video from custody on Tuesday. Picture: Patrick Woods

A Nambour mechanic has said he will need to get another job after being taken off the road for five years following a spree of crimes which included evading police.

Kurtis Brian Smith accelerated up to 100km/h while driving in his bid to flee police about 11.05pm on the Sunshine Mwy on ramp in Kuluin on June 10, all while his licence was disqualified by a court order.

Acting magistrate Raelene Ellis said police abandoned the intercept due to the overt action taken by the 36-year-old.

The vehicle was listed as stolen, the court was told.

Maroochydore Magistrates Court heard Smith’s vehicle was used during several fuel drive-offs over a span of three months.

He would eventually rack up $408.20 of stolen fuel.

These crimes made up part of his 36 offences from May 12 to August 9 which he pleaded guilty to on Tuesday, which included eight counts of driving disqualified and 11 counts of using a number plate permitted for another vehicle.

The court heard among his crimes he was also found with meth, diazepam, buprenorphine, a push knife, straws and scales.

Police prosecutor Val Crossley said the Nambour man was picked up by police on August 9 and spent the next three months in custody before his sentence in court on Tuesday.

Kurtis Brian Smith. Picture: Facebook

Acting Senior Sergeant Crossley said she pushed for an absolute disqualification of his licence due to Smith’s 12 previous entries of disqualified driving.

Defence lawyer Cherisse Breese said the gearbox specialist and certified mechanic fell into substance abuse at the age of 29 following a break up and “spiralled out” on drugs.

Ms Breese said Smith conceded he can’t go back to working on cars and instead wanted to work in the mines when he was released from custody. He also had a treatment plan.

Ms Ellis queried the legislation involving disqualified driving sentences being cumulative, saying it was open to ban Smith from driving until “his mid 50s”.

“It’s the reality of continuing to drive over, and over, and over again,” she said.

Kuluin is a highly built up residential area near Maroochydore.

She told the 36-year-old he had an “atrocious” criminal history which spanned a dozen pages.

The court heard the Nambour man’s traffic history showed he displayed “utter contempt” for court orders through his disqualified driving, where he particularly placed the public at risk during his police evade.

Smith was jailed for two years and two months, with a parole eligibility set at April 8 next year.

Ms Ellis banned Smith from driving for four years on each offence and said it may very well be cumulative.

The magistrate said no restitution was ordered as she believed his punishment of not being able to drive was more important for community denunciation.