A man who was high on meth when he fled from police on an e-scooter at speeds of 100kmh (62mph)
By: A Canberra man who rode an electric scooter at nearly 100km/h before trying to evade police will spend a month in jail after pleading guilty to seven charges relating to the chase.
On December 23 last year, police spotted 38-year-old James Cole riding the modified e-scooter at 100km/h down the Majura Parkway, a main road in Canberra’s east.
During a trial at the ACT Magistrates Court, police body-cam footage was presented showing Cole’s repeated refusal to stop for two officers on motorbikes.
The police were shown chasing Cole as he rode onto a bike path off the highway, causing several cyclists to frantically dismount in order to avoid being hit.
Cole later lost control of the e-scooter after an apparent nudge from one of the officers on motorcycles.
In police footage, he can be seen scrambling to get back to his e-scooter.
“I’ve gotta go to fing work!” he yells as one of the officers tries to grab him.
“Mate! My job’s on the line, man,” Cole says.
“You’ve got more than that on the line now, big fella,” an officer responds.
“Mate, I’m sorry … Please, it’s Christmas and that … I’m sorry, man,” Cole says.
“If you pulled over, we would have had a conversation, but you drove like an absolute madman,” the officer responds.
A roadside drug test returned positive for methamphetamine.
Cole was taken to hospital by ambulance for treatment to minor injuries, and police seized the scooter.
In court on Wednesday, the ABC reported Cole’s defense lawyer Brandon Bode said his client bought the electric scooter after losing his driver’s license due to drug driving.
He said his client’s actions were a “genuine attempt to get to work”.
He told the court Cole, a mechanic, was dealing with significant mental health issues at the time of the offending. He asked Special Magistrate Sean Richter not to jail his client, so he could access appropriate rehabilitation services.
The ABC reported Prosecutor Corey O’Connor said the footage clearly showed a “determined effort” to evade police, arguing six cyclists were placed in danger.
“He poses a significant risk to others and himself,” O’Connor said.
Magistrate Richter said jail time was warranted, and he was not convinced Cole could rehabilitate himself.
“You are way beyond the age in which I expect men to appear before me driving scooters and doing stupid things,” the magistrate said.
“This is really the last resort.”
Cole was given a four-month imprisonment term, to spend one month in prison and serve the remaining three months under a good behavior order.