Jackson Bailey: Dubbo drink driver sentenced for police pursuit

A desperate mum called her teen son, who suffers anxiety, to get him to pull over for police during a high speed chase while he was drink driving with a group of mates, a court heard.

A Dubbo P-plate driver has narrowly avoided being sent to jail after he got behind the wheel while drunk and led police on a “hideous” high speed pursuit.

In court documents, police said Jackson Mark Bailey, 19, first came to their attention about 11.20pm on September 11 when he was behind the wheel of a white Ford Falcon on Wilkins street in Dubbo.

Jackson Bailey was convicted of driving dangerously during a police pursuit in Dubbo Local Court on October 27, 2021. Picture: Facebook

Attempts were made to get the vehicle to pull over after police noticed it travelling at speed around parts of Dubbo.

Despite police turning their siren and warning light on, Bailey refused to stop and was caught doing about 150km/h in a 60km/h zone on Thompson Street when police said the vehicle began to “fish tail”.

Bailey ended up on the Mitchell Highway and as he drove towards Narromine, police said the vehicle was seen crossing over onto the wrong side of the road and doing about 170km/h in a 110km/h zone.

As the highway pursuit got more dangerous, police back in Dubbo went to the address the vehicle was registered to.

It was there they established that Bailey was on the phone to his mother who made attempts to get him to pull over for police.

Bailey ended up in Narromine, about 40 kilometres from Dubbo, and police had to terminate their pursuit because of safety concerns.

After he returned to Dubbo, police met Bailey at his home and he said he did not stop because he had been drinking alcohol.

A breath test was conducted and a reading of 0.027 was recorded. The legal limit for P-plate drivers is zero.

In Dubbo Local Court on Wednesday, Bailey pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving during a police pursuit.

Defence lawyer David Hemsworth told the court Bailey had been at a friend’s house before the pursuit because he “had troubles at home with his brother”.

“He tells me that he’s been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and is currently taking what he describes as sleeping pills,” Mr Hemsworth said.

Dubbo Local Court magistrate Roger Prowse slammed Jackson Bailey’s conduct. Picture: Ryan Young

The court heard Bailey was being treated by a psychologist before the pursuit and he panicked when he noticed police were following him.

Magistrate Roger Prowse described Bailey’s behaviour as “hideous”.

“I spend my weekends either watching car racing or cage fighting just so I know what people like you are subjecting people to,” Magistrate Prowse told Bailey.

“When you’re doing 170km/h and your wheel blows, you’re absolutely cactus.

“You should have been charged with intimidation for the agony you put your mother through but you haven’t been for some reason.”

Magistrate Prowse said while Bailey was entitled to a sentencing discount because he pleaded guilty early, he had received infringement notices for not displaying P-plates and negligent driving.

“My preference is to lock you up full time so that when I’m tootling about, I don’t have to worry about you being in front of me, behind me or beside me,” Magistrate Prowse told the court.

Bailey’s behaviour had caused “considerable danger to a potentially large number of people” over a “considerable distance”, Magistrate Prowse said.

After Mr Hemsworth was sent to obtain a psychological report on Bailey, Magistrate Prowse said he accepted it showed Bailey’s “absolutely extraordinary criminal action … was probably the product” of his anxiety.

“It is the only thing is changing full time to a jail sentence served in the community.

“Whatever Mr Hemsworth has charged you he should double.”

Bailey was convicted and sentenced to a 21-month term of imprisonment to be served in the form of a community based intensive corrections order.

He was also fined $1800, disqualified from driving for five years and banned from consuming alcohol for 21 months.