Joel Nicolas Briskey banned from driving for two years after evading police

A young man has been fined and avoided jail, but not before spending a few hours in the watch house, after he crashed his vehicle at 90km/hr while evading police.

Joel Nicolas Briskey.

Joel Nicolas Briskey’s mum gasped as his bail was revoked and he was led into police custody.

The 20-year-old man had just pleaded guilty to running a red light and evading police, an offence that carries a mandatory 50 days in jail or a $6000 fine.

His lawyer has signalled to Toowoomba Magistrates Court that he would be willing to pay the fine, but Magistrate Kyna Morice said the severity of his offending put him at risk of jail.

The court heard Highway Patrol officers in a marked police car observed a vehicle run a red light at the intersection of Ruthven Street and Long Street, about 8.20pm on May 5.

They activated their lights and siren, signalling Briskey to stop, but instead he accelerated, reaching speeds upwards of 90km/h on Long Street.

Police ended the pursuit out of concern for public safety.

The vehicle was located a short time later after it had crashed and rolled near the intersection of Boundary Road and Glenvale Road.

All of the occupants had fled.

The police prosecutor told the court the vehicle was registered to Briskey’s parents and he later handed himself in to Toowoomba Police Station, and admitted he was the driver.

Briskey’s parents are not accused of any wrongdoing.

Briskey’s lawyer told the court the young man had just finished a butchery apprenticeship but would struggle to find work, given that pleading guilty evading police also carried a mandatory two-year licence suspension.

She said he told police a passenger in the car threatened him, and told him to evade police, but the court heard there was no factual basis for this claim.

“I am very concerned about this matter,” Ms Morice said.

“There is mandatory imprisonment with this matter and your client is concerned about losing his license, he should be concerned about going to jail.

“Having gone through a red light, he then drove in excess of 90km on a suburban street, he had rolled the car.”

Ms Morice adjourned the matter for several hours to consider her sentence and revoked Briskey’s bail.

He was taken into the Toowoomba Watch House but later released with Ms Morice issuing a $7740 fine and a two-year licence disqualification, with no convictions recorded.

Originally published as Joel Nicolas Briskey banned from driving for two years after evading police