Jamie Apps guilty of driving 3x speed limit in Kurnell police chase

A man caught driving three times the signposted limit on residential streets in a quiet Sydney suburb has been warned he could have maimed someone ‘in nanoseconds’.

Jamie Apps was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court after he pleaded guilty to driving and drug offences.

An unemployed man has been banned from driving for two years after he led police on a high-speed chase through a quiet suburb in Sydney’s south.

The driver, who had drugs in his system, reached speeds of almost three times the signposted limit on residential streets in Kurnell before he resisted arrest earlier this year.

Jamie Apps, 34, pleaded guilty in Sutherland Local Court to driving and drug offences.

Agreed facts tendered to court detailed how Apps was driving a black Holden commodore sedan on Horning Street when he failed to indicate and increased his speed to 70km/h in a 50km/h zone about 8.15pm on May 17.

He made more turns and continued to increase his speed before he turned on Torres Street and drove more than 130km/h.

Police officers in an unmarked highway patrol car activated their lights and sirens in an attempt to pull over the driver but Apps increased his speed.

He drove in the middle of the road at no less than 140km/h in a 50km/h zone before he crossed onto the wrong side of the road on a blind corner to overtake a car, documents said.

Apps continued to speed and stopped outside his house on Gannon Street.

Kurnell man Jamie Apps led police on a high-speed chase through a quiet suburb. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

Apps left his car and ran into his house but officers chased him and arrested him.

Police took him outside but he tried to re-enter his home a number of times, documents said.

His parents came outside and watched as Apps was wrestled to the ground while he continually tried to push officers off himself.

Apps was told a number of times to stop resisting, which he eventually did and calmed down.

He was taken to Sutherland Police Station where checks revealed his licence expired in 2015 and he had not held a licence in six years.

Court documents said this meant he “reverted to being a never licenced driver”.

Apps tested positive to having drugs in his system, telling officers he consumed marijuana three days prior.

Apps was charged with police pursuit, driving recklessly or furiously in a dangerous speed or manner, never being licenced, resisting police and driving a vehicle with an illicit drug present in blood.

On Tuesday, Apps’ lawyer Rodney Hackett said his client assured him he would not be back before the court, knowing he would end up in prison.

“This has been a turning point for him. He has never offended this seriously before,” he said.

“He is extremely scared of going to jail. If he goes in, he does not think he will be coming out – not walking anyway.”

The court heard Apps had significant health issues and needed surgery.

Mr Hackett said his client had the full support of his family, who were present in court and he lived with them while receiving government benefits.

He said Apps had told him he wanted to lose weight, become more healthy, get back into the workforce and treat his mental health issues.

Magistrate Hugh Donnelly said he must take into account risk to the community and the seriousness of the offending, noting the duration of the pursuit was short.

“Accidents can happen in nanoseconds,” he said. “Cars driven at speed kill and maim people.”

Apps was sentenced to an intensive corrections order for six months, disqualified from driving for two years, fined $1400 and must continue his treatment with a psychologist.