Jamie Allen Pottinger sentenced for Coast crime spree

A meth man “hell bent” on avoiding police tried to make a daring getaway on a boogie board after nearly hitting three tradies during a wild drive.

A meth man “hell bent” on avoiding police tried to make a daring getaway from police on a boogie board after nearly hitting three tradies during a wild motorbike ride.

Jamie Allen Pottinger was sentenced to 15 months prison on Tuesday after he took police on a wild chase, nearly hit pedestrians on March 31, 2021, and tried to escape on a boogie board in October.

Pottinger pleaded guilty in Maroochydore Magistrates Court to a tirade of charges including dangerously operating a motorbike, evading police, public nuisance and obstructing police.

Police prosecutor Rebecca Lambert said Pottinger was riding away from police on an unregistered motorbike at speed when he mounted a kerb and narrowly missed three tradies working on a Maroochydore footpath.

Police later found the unroadworthy motorbike and identified Pottinger, who was unlicensed at the time as the rider.

In October, police were searching a Mooloolaba house when the Coes Creek resident bolted and ran down a nearby beach.

Senior Constable Lambert said the 47-year-old was carrying a taser when he asked a number of beachgoers for a boogie board before swimming across a canal.

She said police didn’t follow him into the water, but later found him trespassing at a property on the opposite bank.

Constable Lambert said the man was serving a six-month suspended sentence for disqualified driving at the time of the offences, had an “abhorrent” traffic history and eight pages of criminal history.

She suggested an 18-month prison sentence to punish Pottinger and asked for the suspended sentence to be activated.

“ … (Pottinger) has placed avoiding apprehension above the consideration of the safety of himself, police and other road users,” Constable Lambert said.

“It was sheer luck rather than good management that there hasn’t been more serious outcome.”

Pottinger also pleaded guilty to several drug offences including possessing 6g of methamphetamines.

Defence solicitor Luke Bull said Pottinger relapsed into daily meth use in 2021 after his best friend died in his arms.

“I’ve been representing Mr Pottinger for a long time … he is normally a man who isn’t of a bad nature, his issue is drugs,” he said.

Mr Bull said a total of 15 months in prison would reflect the criminality of the offending.

He asked for the suspended sentence to run concurrently if activated.

The court heard a long prison sentence would put Pottinger at risk of losing his long-term housing commission accommodation.

Mr Bull said the man was due to undergo hernia surgery on January 28 and asked for an immediate parole release date.

Magistrate Haydn Stjernqvist said Pottinger was “hell bent” on evading police and didn’t co-operate with police or the court system.

He said Pottinger desired to “stay sober and move on with life”, but said he had struggled to withstand the allure of drugs in the past.

The six-month suspended sentence was activated to run concurrently with the 15-month prison sentence.

Up to 88 days of pre-sentence custody was declared as time already served.

Originally published as Jamie Allen Pottinger sentenced for Coast crime spree