How a chaotic drunken police chase landed a Rokeby man in court

A man has been sentenced for leading police on a drunken car chase which ended in his tyres being spiked, his windows smashed, and his face pepper sprayed. See his astonishing rampage across town.

A Rokeby man has been sentenced for leading police on a drunken car chase which ended in his tyres being spiked, his windows smashed, and his face pepper sprayed.

George William McGregor faced the Hobart Magistrates Court on Monday after pleading guilty to charges harking back to the morning of August 29, 2021.

The 57-year-old was fined $4460 and disqualified from driving for three years for aggravated police evasion, hindering conveyance, reckless driving, speeding, and drunk driving.

Early on August 29 McGregor was pinged by a mobile laser device driving 17km/h over the speed limit on the Southern Outlet towards Hobart.

Police flagged him down but he did not stop, later being pulled over near the intersection Macquarie and Molle Street by officers who then smelled alcohol “emanating” from the car.

McGregor refused to co-operate with police or get out of the vehicle, and at 7.38am he sped off towards Rokeby, crossing the Tasman Bridge and speeding on the South Arm Highway.

At 7.50am he arrived home at Duntroon Drive, Rokeby, arcing across the front lawn and coming to a rest.

Shortly afterwards police turned up and tried to open the car door, but McGregor had locked it.

Officers repeatedly warned McGregor they’d smash his windows in, but he refused to unlock the doors.

George William McGregor. Picture: Kenji Sato

Police shattered the driver side window as McGregor slammed the accelerator, skidding sideways and careening between two police cars before fleeing down Duntroon Drive.

He led police on a drunken car chase throughout the streets, swerving on to the wrong side of the road several times to avoid getting his tyres spiked.

Police managed to spike his tyres near the Richmond Road intersection, whereupon he swerved towards a police officer forcing them to jump out of harm’s way.

Officers bashed in his passenger side window and tried to spray him with capsicum spray, but McGregor managed to drive back down the Richmond Road.

Police caught up with him near the Barilla Bay Holiday Park, showering him with capsicum spray as he attempted to shield his face with a towel.

The car came to a complete stop and police dragged him out of the vehicle.

At this point he suffered a heart issue, so he was taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital for treatment and a blood test which returned a reading of 0.169.

He was charged and bailed from the hospital bedside.

McGregor received a $3460 fine and a two year disqualification for the aggravated evasion offences, as well as a one year disqualification and a $1000 fine for the drink driving and reckless driving offences