Junee man Christopher James Freeman appeals prison sentence over high-speed pursuit through Gobbagombalin

Appearing via video link in the Wagga Local Court on Wednesday, the 22-year-old was sentenced to eight months imprisonment over a string of offences relating to a speed chase through Gobbagombalin.

The charges include driving while disqualified, using an unregistered vehicle, possessing a prohibited drug and failing to appear as required by his bail conditions.

The sentence - which Freeman appealed immediately, and he now remains on bail - comes after being convicted in his absence for failing to attend court on August 30.

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About 8.50am on Tuesday, June 27, police were patrolling Old Narrandera Road in Gobbagombalin when they came upon an unregistered white Mazda 6 with Freeman at the wheel heading east.

When police attempted to pull him over, he fled, reaching speeds of up to 140km/h in a 100km/h zone, before turning north onto Harris Road and heading through suburban Gobbagombalin.

Freeman then left the suburb via Cootamundra Boulevard, heading along Pine Gully Road and making his way onto the Olympic Highway towards Junee.

During this time, police estimate he reached speeds of up to 150km/h in a 100km/h zone and overtook a number of vehicles in a dangerous manner.

After about 20 kilometres, he turned off the highway into a farming property, driving through several paddocks before coming to a stop.

At this point, Freeman's dog leaped out of the vehicle at police, but it eventually settled down.

The pursuit by this time had lasted almost half an hour and covered about 30 kilometres.

On questioning, Freeman told police he didn't stop because "my licence is disqualified until like 2026."

He told police he owned the vehicle, paying $500 for it as there were a number of issues and it wasn't running properly. Police also noted the vehicle had not been registered since November 2022.

During a search of the vehicle, police also located 5.2 grams of cannabis which they seized.

Freeman was taken to Wagga Police Station and charged over the offences.

On Wednesday, the court heard Freman had been taken into custody that morning after he was convicted in his absence last month.

Freeman's solicitor told the court he pleaded guilty to failing to appear in court at the first opportunity and noted he was convicted for the other charges in his absence.

Addressing the court, she argued while there was overtaking of vehicles in the highway chase, there was "no evidence of swerving, crossing lines."

"He is very fortunate there was not a collision with a vehicle, but the risk is always there," she said.

She also noted the "pursuit was heading out of town away from a more densely populated area," and that the only passenger in the car was his "pet dog."

While noting Freeman has prior offences, "his last offence was in June 2021... [with] at least [a] two-year period where he has been compliant."

She argued against a term of imprisonment and said an intensive corrections order with supervision and a requirement to complete the Traffic Offenders Intervention Program be imposed instead.

But the police prosecutor said the "threshold" for imprisonment had been crossed.

He argued there were multiple aggravating factors, including that the incident took place in a densely populated area.

"It would have been busy at that time," he said.

He said other aggravating factors included that the pursuit lasted "over 30 kilometres."

"The longer a pursuit lasts, the more dangerous they get," he said.

Reaching the sentence, Magistrate Rebecca Hosking said Freeman knew he was without his licence.

"When police went to pull you over, you took off, putting everyone in the community at risk," Magistrate Hosking said.

She ruled the incident was "towards the mid-range" of objective seriousness "given the speed and length of the pursuit" and the length of Freeman's disqualification period.

"I am satisfied... no other penalty other than prison is appropriate," she told the court.

Freeman was sentenced to eight months in prison with a non-parole period of four months with a requirement to complete the Traffic Offenders Intervention Program while on parole.

But he is now fighting those charges, lodging an appeal immediately after the sentencing.

Freeman was released on strict bail conditions including a requirement to report to police daily, with a hearing set down for October 18 in the Wagga District Court.

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