Nikolas Leigh Ferrall sentenced to three years imprisonment for petrol theft and resulting police chase

Police had to resort to using spikes on what a judge described as ‘the state’s busiest road’ to put an end to a high speed chase. Here’s what the man behind the wheel was sentenced to.

Nikolas Leigh Ferrall. Picture: Supplied.

What began as fuel theft from a petrol station at Longford ended in a mad police chase that required road spikes to be deployed.

Nikolas Leigh Ferrall, 40, pleaded guilty to a count of dangerous driving and summary offences of stealing, two counts of evading police with aggravated circumstances, driving while disqualified, motor vehicle stealing, and possessing counterfeit money.

On February 25, around 8:50am, Ferrall filled his car with $73 worth of fuel and drove away without paying for it.

Justice Robert Pearce said during sentencing that the car he was driving had been stolen from the yard of a plumbing business the previous night.

“How you came into possession of it has not been explained,” Justice Pearce said.

“It is not alleged that you are the person responsible for its theft, but by driving it without the consent of the owner, you committed the offence of motor vehicle stealing.”

Around an hour later, Ferrall was found by police driving near Longford, who responded by turning on their sirens.

He quickly escaped the police and started driving south along the Midlands Highway before being spotted by cops again near Tunbridge around 10.30am.

“On a single-lane stretch of the highway with wire rope barriers on both sides, you came up behind a vehicle towing a caravan,” Justice Pearce said.

“You overtook the vehicle on its left, almost forcing it into the centre wire barrier.”

Justice Robert Pearce. Supreme of Tasmania judges. Picture: SUPPLIED

At its peak, the Mitsubishi Triton Ferrall was driving at 130km/h, and Justice Pearce said that one motorist was forced onto the wrong side of the road to avoid a crash.

“Road spikes were placed across the highway about five kilometres north of Melton Mowbray.

Three of the tyres on the vehicle you were driving were punctured, but you drove on.”

Ferrall eventually lost control of his vehicle and tried to escape on foot before being caught and arrested by police.

An oral fluid test found that he had amphetamine and methylamphetamine in his system, and Justice Pearce said that he was so affected by the drugs that he was “incoherent and unable to stay awake in the holding cell”.

Ferrall had an extensive criminal history and was breaching a suspended sentence by committing the crimes on February 25.

“It occurred over the course of a lengthy journey on what is likely the state’s busiest road at a time when it was likely to be busy,” Justice Pearce said.

“There were multiple instances of actual danger.

“Your speed was not as extreme as is sometimes seen is such cases, but was still dangerous in the circumstances which existed.

“No damage was done to person or property other than to the stolen car you were driving, which will likely be written off.

“However, the manner and speed of your driving pose a grave risk to other road users.”

Ferrall was sentenced to three years in prison, backdated to February 25, and will not be eligible for parole until he has served half the term.