A man drove at officers on the wrong side of the road and with deflated tyres while leading police on multiple chases and escaping capture during a two-month "spree of criminality".
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Dylan Bowler, 27, faced the ACT Supreme Court on Tuesday on 12 charges, including driving a motor vehicle at police, damaging property, and multiple counts of aggravated dangerous driving and dishonestly driving a motor vehicle without consent.
Acting Justice Richard Refshauge handed Bowler a drug and alcohol treatment order to be served in the community.
The man's offences, all of which he previously pleaded guilty to, took place over a number of occasions between October and December 2021.
According to agreed facts, the first series of offences occurred on October 27, 2021, when police attempted to stop Bowler, who was spotted in a stolen blue Honda CRV.
Police deployed tyre deflation devices during the chase, some of which was captured on video.
Following that, Bowler both collided with a police vehicle and drove on the wrong side of the road multiple times to flee.
The chase eventually moved onto foot after police tracked the man down through the suburbs of Duffy and Wright by following rim marks made by the car's damaged wheels.
Bowler managed on this occasion to successfully evade being captured.
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He would encounter a second police chase in Acton on December 15, 2021, after being tracked via a stolen white Ford Ranger's GPS.
Police tracked the stolen vehicle to the side of Black Mountain, about 50 metres up a steep track, which they accessed on foot.
Spotting police, Bowler drove down the path directly towards the officers.
Officers closed in again on the stolen car after it became momentarily wedged against a parked semi-trailer and truck.
"The offender again drove the vehicle forward towards police, causing one of the police officers to draw their firearm and aim it at the offender," court documents state.
Body worn camera footage played in court last week showed one of the officers smashing the Ford Ranger's window and the other officer falling back into tall grass as the car drove at them.
Other offences over the extended time in question involved stealing cars and dishonestly using stolen credit cards for multiple purchases.
Bowler was finally arrested on New Year's Eve, 2021, during an unrelated police matter.
He was handed a total jail sentence of five years and two months, backdated to his arrest, and a $1200 fine.
Acting Justice Refshauge suspended the sentence from Tuesday, on the condition Bowler enter into a two-year treatment order.
He is then set to comply with good behaviour obligations until the end of his total sentence.
Bowler, who has lived in Canberra his entire life, has already served 15 months in custody for his offending.
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Tim Piccione
Tim is a journalist with the Canberra Times covering the ACT courts. He came to the nation's capital via the Daily Advertiser in Wagga. Contact: tim.piccione@canberratimes.com.au.
Tim is a journalist with the Canberra Times covering the ACT courts. He came to the nation's capital via the Daily Advertiser in Wagga. Contact: tim.piccione@canberratimes.com.au.
