A NOTORIOUS Warrnambool criminal who sparked a massive air and ground manhunt more than four years ago while carrying his infant niece has received more jail time.
Timothy Barden, 32, who has previously lived at Killarney, Terang, Cobden and Warrnambool, yesterday pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court following his most recent arrest near Coles supermarket at Warrnambool's Centro Plaza early this year.
Completing a complicated and long-running sentencing saga, Barden was ordered to serve an extra two months in jail, meaning he will now be ineligible for release from prison before November 29 next year.
Barden was arrested on January 31 this year after being seen by an off-duty police officer riding a stolen $10,000 motorbike near the Centro supermarket.
A search of Barden and the bike found a white crystal substance which spot-tested positive to the amphetamine, two prescription medication tablets and a small can of tear gas.
Other charges from October last year related to counts of driving while suspended. The charges all breached two suspended jail sentences.
Barden also faced a range of charges relating to a massive manhunt north of Warrnambool in November 2007, which were previously incorrectly prosecuted.
Barden's 2007 problems started when he badly bashed his girlfriend's ex-boyfriend while on parole. He was on the run from the law after he failed to answer bail before a trial set for November that year in the Warrnambool County Court .
On November 16 he led police on a wild chase through the Port Campbell district . Barden did U-turns and drove at the pursuing police officer in an effort to get him to abandon the chase.
At 1.35pm on November 20, 2007, a policeman recognised Barden's car and started a pursuit on the northern outskirts of Warrnambool, reaching speeds of 140km/h through Mailors Flat and Winslow.
Barden, with his three-year-old niece, evaded police on foot through rugged terrain, wading across a neck-deep creek while carrying the child and eluding police for five days until he was arrested hiding in the shower at a Warrnambool house.
Yesterday's charges also involved Barden stealing a motorbike and a car, being caught by police near a car which was about to be torched and going to a police station to complain of harassment while carrying a knife in his underpants .
He also smashed the windows of two men's cars.
On November 14, 2007, Barden went to Dennington in a car with Warrnambool's Toby Lynch while looking for a car to steal. Mr Lynch died of stab wounds received at Casterton in October last year.
Magistrate Jonathan Klestadt said sentencing Barden was one of the most difficult tasks he had faced in 20 years on the bench.