Driver's jail sentence averted

Joshua Tyler Campbell, 20, had pleaded guilty to failing to stop for police, driving with sustained loss of traction and two counts of dangerous driving.

A driver sentenced to six weeks in jail has avoided any more time behind bars.

Joshua Tyler Campbell, 20, was released following sentencing by Judge Ian Mill in the Masterton District Court on Monday as Campbell had already spent four weeks on remand in custody.

Campbell had pleaded guilty to failing to stop for police, driving with sustained loss of traction and two counts of dangerous driving regarding two traffic incidents on March 1 and 29.

The court had heard Campbell was doing "donuts" in a car as he drove at speed in Dixon St and Queen St on March 1, "sliding sideways" in a "cloud of smoke" and stopping just short of a power substation box in South Rd. Police said he had been driving at speeds of 100km/h on the wrong side of the road.

Then on March 29 Campbell was seen by police riding a motorcycle in Harley St and when they had tried to stop him he drove off at speed "accelerating to 140km/h in a 50km area" before driving down a dead-end street where police caught up with and arrested him.

Defence lawyer Frank Minehan said his client had already had a "taste of prison" and had learnt a lesson.

When Judge Mill asked Campbell if he'd drive like that again he replied, "No".

"It was very dangerous in the circumstances. Fortunately nobody was hurt ... don't put yourself in this position again," the judge said to him.

He convicted Campbell on the charges, sentenced him to six weeks' jail and disqualified him from driving for six months on the dangerous driving and sustained loss of traction charges. He discharged Campbell on the charge of failing to stop.