Nathan Sultana sentenced for drunk driving and police pursuit in Surry Hills

A car salesman spiralled into serious drug and alcohol addiction – after he was kidnapped and tortured in a terrible case of mistaken identity – which culminated in a dangerous police chase through Sydney streets.

Nathan Sultana (left), pictured with his defence lawyer Ahmed Dib, was sentenced in Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to police pursuit and high-range drink driving. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A father spiralled into serious drug and alcohol addiction – after he was kidnapped and tortured in a terrible case of mistaken identity – which culminated in a dangerous police chase through Sydney streets, a court has heard.

Nathan Sultana was sentenced in Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday after he pleaded guilty to police pursuit and high-range drink driving.

Agreed facts tendered to court said on September 22 last year Sultana was driving a black Mercedes at Surry Hills about 2.40am when he went through a red light along Wentworth Ave.

Police officers were stopped at the same traffic light and caught up to him and activated the lights in an attempt to stop him.

However, Sultana ignored the direction and continued driving until he met traffic so he mounted the median strip and drove through another red traffic light.

Sultana was sentenced in Downing Centre Local Court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

Police engaged in a pursuit before Sultana attempted to turn right into Eddy Ave but he collided with a traffic light pole where he was stopped for a couple of seconds before he continued driving.

He mounted a median strip again before the car broke down and Sultana fled on foot.

Police caught up to him but Sultana resisted arrest before he was handcuffed.

Sultana also had not displaying his P-plates and had a blood alcohol reading of 0.186.

In court, Sultana’s high profile defence lawyer Ahmed Dib said his client’s life “spiralled out of control” following a case of “mistaken identity” when he was kidnapped and tortured in 2016.

Mr Dib said that led Sultana to heavily consume drugs and alcohol in order to “escape” the memories, adding Sultana would often drink to the point of blacking out.

He noted Sultana’s criminal history was poor but he had made “significant changes in his life” after he was told, in court, if he did not rehabilitate himself he would end up in jail.

The court heard Sultana was sentenced to an intensive correction order after he was caught driving while suspended and under the influence of alcohol in May.

Since then, Sultana attended a month-long full-time residential drug rehabilitation program before he participated in an outpatient program for three months and still attends drug and alcohol counselling once a week.

Sultana also sees a psychologist once a month, has full-time employment as a car salesman and parenting plan to care for his children.

Magistrate Miranda Moody said members of the community were put in “great danger” from his “extremely dangerous” actions but she noted Sultana appeared “to have come a very long way”.

She took into account the steps he had taken in rehabilitation and that he understood the consequences of his actions.

Sultana was placed on a 14-month intensive correction order and was disqualified for driving for 12 months, and fined $1100, and he must continue his counselling.