A disqualified driver who fled police at fast speed was found hiding in a tree after his vehicle became bogged in a table drain.
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Daniel McKenzie, 22, of Wattle Court, Portland, pleaded guilty in Warrnambool Magistrates Court to charges, including resisting an emergency worker on duty, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, driving while disqualified and making a false report to police.
Lawyer Xavier Farrelly said McKenzie's unstable upbringing included aiding his father in an aggravated burglary and an old partner burning his house down.
He said his client was a heavy methamphetamine user and also suffered from an intellectual disability.
McKenzie, who appeared via videolink from a prison, cried throughout the proceedings.
He said he no longer wanted to be in custody, where he had spent the past 55 days on remand.
Magistrate Julie Grainger told the man there was "all the help and support in the world if you want it."
"But you have to really want it," she said.
McKenzie was jailed for the 55 days he had already served in custody. He was released on an 18-month corrections order with conditions he undergo assessment and treatment for drug abuse and mental health, as well as drug tests and offending behaviour programs.
The court heard on September 20, McKenzie was observed driving a dark blue Ford Sedan east on Catons Flat Road in Heywood about 6pm. He was clocked at 124km/h in a 100k/h zone.
Patrolling police activated their lights but the man failed to pull over and drove off at a fast rate of speed and on the wrong side of the road.
While evading the police, McKenzie blew one of the tyres on his vehicle but continued to drive some distance on just the tyre rim.
Officers later located the vehicle bogged in a table drain on Williamsons Road.
McKenzie had climbed a nearby tree.
A search of the vehicle uncovered a backpack containing three knives and an ice pipe.
McKenzie and a female passenger gave a signed statement nominating another man as the driver.
But the woman later told police that it was McKenzie who had driven the vehicle.
Police attended the man's property on September 25 and located him inside with a female victim, who had dark bruises on her face.
When police attended the man's property on September 26, they located the victim inside with dark bruises on her face. She told police he had hit her.
McKenzie attempted to flee police but was capsicum sprayed and eventually arrested.
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