Aron Stewart to spend 18 months off driving and serve two year community corrections order for police pursuit

Aron Stewart, 18, faced Griffith Local Court, charged with a police pursuit and failure to stop, being an unaccompanied learner driver, not displaying learner plates and possessing a restricted substance.

Appearing for the first time on June 7, Stewart entered a plea of guilty to four charges.

In documents tendered to court, at 11.09am on April 21, police saw a white Toyota Hilux being driven by Stewart on Wattle Road, Murrami.

Police went to stop the vehicle as part of their Anzac Day road safety campaign and did a u-turn to catch up with the Hilux.

Police followed Stewart with their lights and sirens activated and after a short time started a pursuit as Stewart had not stopped.

Stewart led police south on Collins Road before turning right onto Koonadan Road, an unsealed dirt road at Murrami.

He continued along the road and didn't stop at a level crossing controlled by a stop sign, before veering left onto Wilkinson Road which becomes a sealed road after an intersection with Murrami Road.

Stewart turned onto Hermann Road before he pulled to the left coming to a stop and exiting the vehicle, where he was arrested.

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Police said at no point did Stewart exceed the posted speed limit on the roads of 100 kilometres per hour.

Stewart and his vehicle were searched and two vaping devices loaded with nicotine were found. An oral fluid test revealed a positive result for cannabis, which was confirmed by a secondary test at Griffith police station.

Stewart's solicitor Chelsea Connell said her client was trying to get himself to work and was close to graduating to P plates.

Ms Connell submitted a reference from Stewart's employer as well as a letter outlining his regret and remorse.

She said Stewart was still young, only 18 years and one month old at the time of the offences.

Ms Connell told the court Stewart would now have to rely on those around him to get him to work.

"These are the sort of offences which result in death to other road users or people who are attempting to flee or the police officers," Magistrate Trevor Khan told Stewart.

"If the lights come on, you stop," Mr Khan said.

"What saves you, is you had no record and you've blotted it in a big way."

Mr Khan said 95 per cent of the community have never seen the inside of a court.

"Most people don't know what goes on in here," he said.

"Don't come back, with this on your record, particularly if it's another driving matter, you'll be in real trouble."

For the police pursuit, Stewart was disqualified from driving for 18 months and will serve a supervised community corrections order for two years.

He was fined $750 and will serve a three month disqualification from driving concurrently for the charge of being an unaccompanied learner driver.

Stewart was fined $250 for not displaying his learner plates on his car and fined $100 for possessing a restricted substance.

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