Geraldton man loses licence for life after drug-fuelled escape from police pursuit

A Geraldton man who reported his car as stolen after he dumped it during a drug-fuelled escape from police has had his licence disqualified for life. Ashley Paul Rickards last week appeared in Geraldton District Court where he pleaded guilty to reckless driving to escape pursuit by police and attempting to pervert the course of justice. The court was told Rickards had drove at “high speeds” to evade police in the early hours of April 24, 2021 when they attempted to intercept his Ford Falcon along Chapman Valley Road. Officers abandoned the pursuit, but another marked police car subsequently picked up the chase after they were forced to take evasive action when Rickards appeared to have locked in a collision course with the vehicle. Rickards escaped and abandoned his car on a Waggrakine street, calling police to report the vehicle as stolen several hours later. He told officers he had been at his girlfriend’s house the whole night. The following morning he was charged over the reckless driving incident and his attempts to pervert the course of justice by making the false motor vehicle theft report. Another count was brought against him after he attempted to pervert the course of justice by influencing his ex-partner — who was protected by a violence restraining order — to withdraw statements she made against him. Defence counsel Kate Fry said Rickards had been “coming down from drugs” and “was not thinking straight” when he tried to get in contact with his partner while he was in custody. “Mr Rickards tells me he was essentially self-medicating, using drugs to forget the other problems in his life,” she said. The court was told Rickards had also admitted to being under the influence of methylamphetamine at the time of his escape from police pursuit. In a letter he presented to court, Rickards said he was “remorseful” for his offending and has taken steps to rehabilitate himself while in custody. Ms Fry said Rickards was keen to get back to work when he was released, with possible employment available at a trailer servicing company. Judge John Prior accepted Rickards’ remorse was genuine and agreed all three offences were linked to his “dysfunctional” relationship with his ex-partner and his substance abuse issues. Rickards was sentenced to two years behind bars and given a life disqualification on his driver’s licence. The sentence was backdated to July 7, 2021 and he was made eligible for parole.