Narara: Michael David Maher who got his foot stuck under a cop car jailed over ‘Bottlo’ pursuit

A man who was nabbed in the drive through bay of a bottle shop when he got his foot stuck under the wheel of a police car has been sentenced for refusing to stop during a pursuit.

Michael David Maher, 31, drove into the Bottlo at Narara, during a police pursuit. Picture: Google

A serial disqualified driver who was on parole and “freaked out” when he saw police before fleeing in his girlfriend’s car has been sentenced.

Appearing via video link from custody Michael David Maher faced Gosford Local Court on Friday where he was sentenced to 18 months jail with a non-parole period of nine months.

The 31-year-old, from Narara, was also disqualified from driving for a further three years.

It came after Maher pleaded guilty last month to two counts of destroying property, two counts of driving while disqualified, contravening an apprehended violence order and failing to stop during a police pursuit.

The court heard Maher was on parole having got out of jail three months earlier for an unrelated matter when he was seen by police driving his girlfriend’s car while disqualified at Narara about 2pm on December 14.

Michael David Maher, 31, drove through the stop-sign intersection of Deane and Hanlan streets, Narara, during a police pursuit. Picture: Google

He turned into Mangrove Rd and drove down an access road before getting out of the vehicle and fleeing on foot.

Maher managed to give police the slip for a couple of weeks but was seen again behind the wheel on New Year’s Eve.

Maher was sentenced in Gosford Local Court on Friday. (AAP Image/ASHLEY FEDER)

An agreed set of facts states police were patrolling Deane St, Narara, when they pulled up along side him driving a Mitsubishi Outlander.

Police activated their warning lights and sirens but he “accelerated away at speed” and sailed through a stop sign at the intersection with Hanlan St travelling about 80km/h in a 50km/h zone.

Maher turned into the drive through lane of the `Bottlo’ bottle shop at Narara where he got out and tried to flee in front of the arriving police car.

“Police exited the vehicle and took hold of the driver, before it was ascertained the driver’s foot was stuck under the front tyre of the police vehicle,” the facts state.

Police moved the car and he was arrested and taken to Gosford Hospital where he was treated for soft tissue damage to his foot.

Maher later told police “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I did that. I freaked out”.

With time served since his arrest on New Year’s Eve he will be eligible for release in September.