A Dapto man believed he was "invincible" as he sped down a suburban street, lost control of his car and crashed it on top of two vehicles inside a stranger's carport, causing more than $30,000 worth of damage, Wollongong Local Court has heard.
Toni Dorevski had stopped taking his mental health medication when he hightailed it along a busy Unanderra street, overtaking cars on the wrong side of the road and eventually crashing his vehicle.
Solicitor Anthony Williamson, acting for the 40-year-old, told the court yesterday that his client had been feeling "grandiose" at the time of the accident and was convinced he was being chased.
Magistrate Geraldine Beattie banned Dorevski from driving for nearly 3½ years and said it was lucky no-one was hurt.
Witnesses to the Farmborough Road accident described seeing Dorevski "scream past" about 3pm on June 11 last year as he crossed the road to overtake other cars, driving at very high speeds.
Dorevski tried to negotiate a bend but lost control, sliding into a kerb, which caused the vehicle to spin.
The car then flipped onto its roof in the front yard of a Farmborough Road home, eventually coming to rest in the carport on top of the home owner's two cars.
Dorevski managed to climb out of his vehicle but was unco-operative with police.
Officers went to his home a week later and he told them his car had simply "hydroplaned" in the wet weather.
He admitted he had drunk a bottle of cider before driving but denied speeding or overtaking other cars.
Yesterday he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and mid-range drink-driving.
Mr Williamson told the court Dorevski had spent several stints at Shellharbour Hospital's mental health unit.
This included a two-month stay shortly after the accident.
He conceded that Dorevski's driving record was "abysmal" before his 2001 mental-health diagnosis but had since improved.
The court heard that Dorevski was now taking his medication, had stopped drinking and had completed the traffic offenders program.
Magistrate Beattie placed Dorevski on a two-year good-behaviour bond and disqualified him from driving for nearly 3½ years.