Zachary Wilkinson jailed for police pursuit from Tamworth to Nemingha after swapping seats mid-chase

Magistrate Roger Prowse was scathing of Zachary Wilkinson’s behaviour and the danger it posed to the community, when he took off from officers on March 12.

He also praised the police actions after Target Action Group (TAG) officers who were forced to smash the windows to drag the 22-year-old out of the car in Nemingha.

Wilkinson initially denied the charges against him and was due to front a hearing in Tamworth Local Court on Friday morning, but reversed his pleas to a raft of charges.

The incident unfolded shortly after 10am when officers tried to stop the grey Nissan, after it left a carpark opposite the police station and continued through several streets, including White and Peel and onto the New England Highway.

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Wilkinson, who is disqualified from driving, was behind the wheel and took off and continued along Armidale Road where Wilkinson clocked speeds of 100km per hour in a 60 zone.

The most alarming incident police said was that they watched Wilkinson swap seats, jumping into the passenger seat mid-chase.

The car stopped outside several houses in Somerset Place before Wilkinson and a passenger wound the windows up and locked the doors, while the vehicle was still in drive.

TAG officers feared the pair would take off again and smashed the windows to drag the pair out. Wilkinson then wrestled with police on the ground before he was subdued with capsicum spray.

Wilkinson admitted in court to charges of Skye’s Law police pursuit while driving recklessly, resisting police, two counts of driving while disqualified, five counts of possessing a prohibited drug and custody of a knife after it was tossed from the car.

Magistrate Prowse jailed Wilkinson for a head sentence of 30 months behind bars with a non-parole period of 20 months.

After time served, Wilkinson will be eligible for parole in November, 2019.

A second co-accused remains before the court.