EMOTIONAL scenes broke out in a Tamworth court when a man was taken into custody after admitting to a hit-and-run which left a man in a coma.
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Daniel John Sams was flanked by family members in Tamworth Local Court on Wednesday when he pleaded guilty to three charges.
DPP solicitor Andrew Passlow made an application for the 38-year-old to be detained under new legislation.
Mr Passlow submitted the offending on the outskirts of Tamworth just before midnight on January 8 was close to the "very top end" of objective seriousness.
He told the court Sams was intoxicated while behind the wheel of a car and couldn't keep it in its lane when he hit a 28-year-old man as he walked along Manilla Road with a woman.
"The victim is still in a coma," Mr Passlow said.
He argued it was inevitable that Sams would serve a full-time prison sentence.
The court heard Sams had driven off and parked after hitting the pair, injuring them both, before returning to the scene.
Mr Passlow said Sams had been drinking alcohol that night and told the court he had been charged with drink driving matters in the past.
"He's been given multiple chances by the court and continues to reoffend," Mr Passlow said.
Sams will be sentenced in the district court but magistrate Julie Soars had to rule on the detention application.
Defence solicitor Tammy White submitted the material available to Ms Soars was very limited.
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She said the sentencing judge would have access to a specialist report and subjective material for Sams, as well as detailed medical reports for the two victims.
Ms White told the court Sams had a need to be in the community for health treatment and he had engaged with professionals while on bail.
She said it was an "extremely high threshold" to show it was realistically inevitable that Sams would serve a full-time custodial sentence.
Even though Sams will be sentenced before a judge in the district court, Ms Soars said she had the "difficult task" of ruling on the application in the local court.
"I accept that this is an abbreviated procedure," she said.
She acknowledged the male victim remained in a coma in hospital more than 10 months on.
Ms Soars considered submissions and said she had done her best in accordance with the authorities.
"I therefore grant the oral detention application of the DPP," she told the court.
Sams was taken away to the police cells as his distressed family watched on.
His matter was committed to Tamworth District Court next month, where he will be handed a sentence date for the charge of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm (GBH).
The further charge of failing to stop and assist after a vehicle impact causing GBH will be taken into account.
Sams also pleaded guilty to causing bodily harm by misconduct while in charge of a motor vehicle, relating to the injuries the 27-year-old woman suffered.
Three other charges were dropped by prosecutors.
Bail was revoked and the case was adjourned.
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