A MAN will front court for sentencing next year after admitting to his role in stealing a car from a council worker then going on a crime spree spanning hundreds of kilometres.
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Tamworth Local Court heard Joshua Simpson pleaded guilty to seven charges, with three others to be withdrawn by police after defence representations were made.
"There's a slightly amended fact sheet, which was agreed," police prosecutor Sergeant Rob Baillie told the court.
Simpson appeared in court via video link from custody when his Aboriginal Legal Service defence solicitor Courtney Edstein asked for a sentence date in January.
She said the 27-year-old wanted to find out his fate before a period of parole that he was already on runs out, so he could stay at Cessnock Correctional Centre, where he has been able to work as a roofer.
She conceded that a jail sentence was warranted.
"It's very serious offending," Ms Edstein told the court.
Magistrate Julie Soars agreed the matters were serious as she read the agreed facts, and ordered a report into the offending to be prepared in the new year.
She adjourned the case to January for sentence.
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Simpson has been behind bars since his arrest in early November and made no application for bail at the time.
His release was formally refused by Ms Soars.
"No worries, thank you miss," Simpson said.
Simpson will be sentenced for charges of stealing and driving a vehicle; two counts of police pursuit; two counts of driving recklessly or furiously; driving while disqualified; and refusing to have a blood sample taken.
The police case was that Simpson jumped into an Isuzu D-Max ute as a council worker routinely opened public toilets in Scone about 6am on November 6.
More than three hours later, just after 9.30am, police from the Narrabri highway patrol command spotted the ute driving along the Kamilaroi Highway.
A pursuit was sparked and police tracked the ute to Mullaley and then onto Manilla - which covers a distance of more than 100km - before losing sight of it.
Police said at the time road spikes were deployed on Appleby Lane, near Tamworth, and Simpson was arrested on a property a short time later.
A woman police alleged was a passenger in the ute was also arrested and has been before the court.
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Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald. Email: afalkenmire@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Police and crime reporter at the Newcastle Herald. Email: afalkenmire@austcommunitymedia.com.au
