A MAN has been jailed for driving in a "maniacal manner" during a police chase before he crashed then ran at police with his arms up looking like a "large bear".
Mark Sturgeon, 35, was jailed in Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to pursuit and assault police charges.
The Windale man was handed a sentence of 23 months, with a non-parole period of 15 months. He will be eligible for release in November, with time served since his dramatic arrest in August last year.
He was disqualified from driving for two years.
Sturgeon appeared via video link from custody, with supporters in the courtroom, when Judge Trevor Khan described his manner of driving during the Hunter police pursuit as "almost maniacal".
"He's travelling at a heck of a speed," he said.
"The entire course of driving was an extraordinary event."
Judge Khan read a psychiatrist report and heard troubling details about Sturgeon's background. He found special circumstances in the case.
Defence solicitor Walter Ball submitted Sturgeon had suffered extra punishment outside the court sentencing because he was injured during the arrest.
When the pursuit came to an end after 2.30am on August 24, and Sturgeon then crashed and tried to flee from the scene, he was cornered by police.
He turned and "looks like a large bear" with his arms up coming towards the police officer, Mr Ball said. The senior constable did not have time to draw a weapon and struck Sturgeon in the head with a torch.
"It is somewhat disconcerting that it seems to be some time before he is offered any medical assistance," Mr Ball said.
He said body-worn footage showed blood running freely across the concrete and that Sturgeon now had a very poor recollection of the night.
The solicitor from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said the pursuit was serious as Sturgeon at times crossed into oncoming traffic, turned his headlights off, and hit 140kmh through the township of Singleton, a 50 zone.
She said large sparks were emanating from the wheels after at least one tyre was shredded by police road spikes.
Judge Khan said Sturgeon had a passenger at the time that he had put at risk, alongside himself and members of the public.
It was about 2.20am when police spotted an unregistered and uninsured silver Holden VE Commodore speeding along the New England Highway south of Muswellbrook.
Officers activated their lights and sirens but the Commodore's speed "drastically increased" and a pursuit was launched.
The chase continued at speeds of up to 180kmh for about 25 kilometres along the New England Highway and Hunter Expressway.
Police terminated the pursuit as Sturgeon took the Main Road exit towards Cliftleigh. Officers saw him collide with an oncoming car and police swarmed the crash scene. The other driver was in shock but uninjured.
Sturgeon assaulted two police officers and "violently" resisted arrest as he was pinned to the ground, but was able to be handcuffed.
He lost consciousness and was treated by police and paramedics at the scene before being taken to hospital in Newcastle.
A search of the Commodore revealed a "large amount" of drug paraphernalia.
For additional charges stemming from the incident, Sturgeon was also handed a three-year good-behaviour order, and was convicted of others with no further penalty imposed.
