Brady Morris Rollings pleads guilty to evading police and dangerous driving

Speeding away from the police is never a good idea, as a Toowoomba father learnt when he was slapped with a huge fine and mandatory two year driving ban.

Brady Morris Rollings, 28, has been jailed after pleading guilty to a raft of property offences committed during a months-long crime spree across Toowoomba.

A “genuine” effort to beat ice addiction and move past a criminal blip and into a law-abiding life has saved a man from being returned to jail after he pleaded guilty to evading police and dangerous driving.

On Wednesday, Toowoomba Magistrates Court was told Brady Morris Rollings was on parole after serving nine months of a 33-month jail sentence when he pulled out in front of an unmarked police vehicle at Cambooya on February 22.

Police prosecutor Alister Windsor said police attempted to flag down Rollings but he sped off, later telling police he thought it was a different vehicle that was following him.

The court was told Rolling crossed into the oncoming traffic lane before fishtailing into another road.

Police in the unmarked vehicle activated their lights and sirens but Rollings did not stop, so they discontinued their pursuit.

Brady Morris Rollings, 28.

Rollings was later charged with one count each of evading police, dangerous driving and stealing, and two counts of breaching bail.

In sentencing, magistrate Louise Shephard said she was concerned that jailing Rollings would undermine the good work he had put into beating his addiction to ice after he was locked up for a string of property offences in December 2021.

They included being in possession of what police described as an Aladdin’s cave of stolen tools and building supplies that he had warehoused in several shipping containers across Toowoomba.

Ms Shephard noted Rollings was from a good home but had suffered trauma as a child when he was in a serious bike accident, and again when he lost several friends to a traffic accident when a vehicle he was meant to be in crashed.

The court was told Rollings had a good work history until he lost his job in 2021 and a friend introduced him to ice.

“As we often hear in this court, you became addicted to that terrible drug,” Ms Shephard said.

“You are taking genuine steps to address your underlying issues, you have engaged with a mental health professional and the parole office is aware of the offences but has not revoked your parole.”

When faced with the choice of a mandatory $7180 fine or 50 days in jail for the evasion offence, Ms Shepherd opted for the fine.

“I don’t see what would be served for you, your family or the comment by you going back into jail,” she said.

After pleading guilty to all offences, Rollings was sentenced to a three-month jail term suspended for nine months, a 30-month driver’s licence suspension and a hefty fine.