Levi Tihi, 24, of Watton Street, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court to driving offences, including dangerous and unlicensed driving.

The court heard he was arrested on Wednesday during an unrelated drug search warrant at a Penshurst property. Tihi was wanted by police after he fled officers at 100km/h in a residential street in Hamilton on December 27 last year.

An off-duty police member observed Tihi on that day driving a silver Ford Explorer with three passengers on board.

The man was immediately identified due to previous interactions with police.

He was observed driving the same vehicle 17 minutes later on the Hamilton Highway. Police members attempted to intercept Tihi, who accelerated away and continued to drive in an erratic matter. The pursuit was abandoned due to safety reasons.

Lawyer Morgan Adams said Tihi was a passionate sheep shearer who had "single-handedly supported his family for the last eight months while his father was unable to work".

He said on the day of the offending, Tihi was home alone for three days when he realised there was no food in the house.

"He didn't want his friends to be driving his dad's car so he hopped in and drove to get food," Mr Adams said.

"He should have stayed hungry."

Magistrate Mark Stratmann said the high speed evade in a residential town was "a recipe for complete and utter disaster".

"If you had crashed that car and hurt, injured or fatally killed one of those passengers, or crashed into a person walking with a child, a pram or a dog, your life would have changed dramatically forever," he said.

Tihi was placed on a six-month corrections order with 100 hours of unpaid work. His licence was disqualified for 20 months.

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