Gympie drug addict told to get his life together before release from jail
The court heard police were patrolling a Gympie road on that date and began following Coyne’s car, at which point he drove away “very dangerously” and crossed onto wrong side of a road, forcing another driver to swerve away from him and police to stop their pursuit.
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A young Gympie region man jailed until at least October for a spree of driving offences, including crossing the wrong side of the road to evade police, has been told to get his life together before re-entering the community.
MORE ON THIS STORY: Drug dealer Michael Carswell Coyne faces Gympie District Court
23-year-old Michael Carswell Coyne appeared via videolink in the Gympie District Court late last week, pleading guilty to dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, evading police, obstructing police and evasion stemming from the same incident on December 15 last year.
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The court heard police were patrolling a Gympie road on that date and began following Coyne’s car, at which point he drove away “very dangerously” and crossed onto wrong side of a road, forcing another driver to swerve away from him and police to stop their pursuit.
Judge Bernard Porter called that offending “very serious”.
“I would guess that you did not wish to hurt anybody but you could have killed somebody,” Judge Porter said.
Coyne had previously been disqualified from driving by Judge Glen Cash in the same court, and had been released from jail on parole last August, mere months before committing his latest offences.
Coyne also pleaded guilty to trespassing on a Southside property on December 22 last year, as well as possessing buprenorphine and a hypodermic syringe on that same date. He entered another guilty plea for unlawfully supplying methamphetamine, dated on December 13.
“You were a young man at the time of this offending, you’re still a young man, it’s a tragic waste of your life,” Judge Porter told him.
Coyne was sentenced to 15 months’ jail, with a parole eligibility date set for October 13 this year.
Originally published as Gympie drug addict told to get his life together before release from jail
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