27-year-old was on bail when he committed similar crime
A 27-year-old man drove a stolen truck on its rims for 9km on the wrong side of a highway, forcing multiple vehicles to take evasive action in scenes a judge called ‘patently obvious’ danger.
Supreme Court Justice Michael Brett has condemned the very serious criminal conduct of Patrick Lee Brown, who committed two similar examples of dangerous driving this year. The court in Launceston heard it was incomprehensible that no one was killed or injured during the extended, erratic and dangerous driving of the 27-year-old man.
Mr Brown, of Ravenswood, pleaded guilty to two counts of dangerous driving in 2025 and a count of aggravated burglary in 2024, along with a raft of associated summary charges, including three counts of evading police in aggravated circumstances.
The first dangerous driving charge was in southern Tasmania on June 27, 2025, and the second was in north-east Tasmania and Launceston on August 20, 2025.
The court heard that on June 23, 2025 Brown took a Mitsubishi Triton for a test-drive in Ulverstone but did not return it.
At 10.47am on June 27, Mr Brown removed number plates from a parked Mitsubishi Triton in Hobart and placed them on the stolen vehicle.
Police spotted him in Elwick Rd and followed him on to the Brooker Highway where he wove in and out of traffic and drove at up to 120km/h in a 100 km/h zone.
Road spikes were deployed and a collision was narrowly avoided when he tried to dodge them.
At 11.11am he stopped at BP Brighton and a female occupant of his vehicle pumped $104.70 worth of fuel.
“The accused drove away without paying,” the court heard.
On the East Derwent Highway he overtook on double white lines and then struck road spikes shredding two tyres which came off completely.
He drove on to the incorrect side of the road narrowly avoiding a collision with multiple vehicles.
He also drove the wrong way around a roundabout and narrowly avoided a head on collision with a B Double truck.
He told police he evaded them because the vehicle was stolen and he had used methylamphetamine shortly before.
On July 24, 2025 Brown was given bail in the Supreme Court when he appealed a Magistrate’s decision.
The court heard that on August 18, 2025 Brown failed to return a white Hino truck.
At 2.40pm he evaded police and overtook a large semi trailer in the face of oncoming traffic.
About 5.10pm he was spotted by police in the Launceston suburbs of Norwood and Kings Meadows.
Police attempted to intercept him with an immobilisation device near KFC in Hobart Rd.
Justice Brett said a second immobilisation device was used in Penquite Rd and a third device at the corner of Cimitiere and Tamar streets.
Brown drove through several red traffic lights while heading north towards Mowbray where another set of road spikes was used at the Newnham police station.
“The truck was on its rims emitting sparks,” the court heard.
Brown drove the truck on the wrong side of the wire barrier on the divided East Tamar Highway at a time when traffic flow was heavy.
“The accused drove on the incorrect side of the road for 9km,” the court heard.
“Multiple vehicle had to take evasive action to avoid a collision.”
When he finally crashed the truck in Ravenswood Brown refused to get out and police used a baton to break glass and get him out.
The court heard he was on bail for an aggravated burglary when he committed the first dangerous driving and was on bail for the first dangerous driving when he committed the second episode.
The aggravated burglary charge related to Brown driving a 37-year-old man to a property at Pontville on July 3, 2024
In sentencing Justice Brett said Brown had disregarded the safety of any other road user.
“The danger to others would have been patently obvious to you,” he said.
“The premeditation and fleeing from police and your persistence is inconsistent with panic,”
Justice Brett handed out 18 months jail for three count of evading police and a global sentence of three years jail for the two counts of dangerous driving.
He sentenced him to a 12 month suspended sentence for the aggravated burglary and stealing.
“The total term for all of the above is three years imprisonment from August 19, 2025, and I will allow for parole after 18 months,” Justice Brett said.
Originally published as 27-year-old was on bail when he committed similar crime
