South West man Justin Neil True handed extra prison time for police chase that left officers with whiplash

A South West man has been handed extra time behind bars for ramming a stolen car into a police vehicle twice during a chase the day before he committed home burglaries. Justin Neil True appeared in Bunbury Magistrate’s Court via videolink from Bunbury Regional Prison on Thursday where he was handed an eight-month jail term for a range of offences, including reckless driving to escape pursuit by police, stealing a motor vehicle and no authority to drive as well as a further charge of assault with intent to prevent arrest. The court was told during the morning of July 12, 2019 True and a co-offender were seen by patrolling police changing number plates on a Toyota Hilux utility near the intersection of Clifton Road and Howson Drive in Brunswick. Noticing the Hilux utility had been stolen earlier and re-painted to disguise distinctive features, police decided to pull over behind the utility, prompting the co-offender to flee on foot while True got into the driver’s seat. After initially reversing the car to ram into the police vehicle, True drove off. A chase ensued on Howson Drive, a dead-end road, until True braked heavily in the middle of the road and reversed the car into the police again before attempting to make a U-turn. Despite the police car sustaining extensive damage to its bonnet, the officers were able to force True off the road. When he got out of the car he fled to nearby bushland. During the investigation, a police dog picked up True’s scent at a neighbouring property. Officers spoke to the resident of that property who confirmed he had given True a ride back into town after he jumped the fence into their backyard and sought a lift, explaining he had been in an accident. The court was told True was subject to a return to prison warrant and had a lifetime driver’s licence disqualification. The court was also told the two officers suffered “whiplash injuries” as a result of the two collisions and had to be placed on “light duties” for several days. In submissions, True’s defence counsel Michael Joubert told the court his client was already a sentenced prisoner after being sentenced to a four year and six month jail term for committing two aggravated home burglaries. It was found the burglaries took place the day after the car chase. Mr Joubert also submitted True had consumed a combination of alcohol, illicit substances and painkillers at the time of offending and his current incarceration period served as a “wake-up call” despite serving time in custody before. True also told the court he had since taken part in alcohol and drug programs and was looking to go to a rehabilitation centre upon his eventual release. In sentencing, Magistrate Benjamin Tyers found a cumulative prison sentence was the only appropriate option given the seriousness of the offences. “You drove away with no regard to anyone but your own attempt to escape the police,” he said. Despite the extra time behind bars, Mr Tyers granted True parole eligibility.