Clinton Williams: Driver who lead police on two pursuits through Illawarra sentenced

Clinton David Williams, 37, was sentenced to two years in jail after he pleaded guilty to a range of charges including police pursuits and never being a licenced driver.

In Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday, Williams read an apology letter to the court where he described being remorseful for his actions but believed he would not be in jail had if it not been for COVID-19 restrictions.

He said upon being released to parole in March 2020 he was unable to start work in a concreting job he was offered nor get a drivers licence causing him to fall into a depression, relapse and begin taking drugs again.

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"I am deeply remorseful for what I have done," he said.

"I believe I have learnt the lesson of what I have done and had it not been for the COVID-19 restriction then I would not have done what I did."

However, Magistrate Claire Girotto said Williams could not "blame COVID restrictions for everything".

"It was your stupidity in doing the police pursuits that meant you went to jail. You just needed to stop the car," she said.

"You could have killed someone.

"You need to take responsibility".

An agreed set of facts said officers were called to Carters Lane in Towradgi on the afternoon of April 27 with reports Williams had a firearm at the location.

While police were speaking with a woman at the scene, they saw a red Toyota Camry leaving the car park at high speed.

The car was seen a short time later in Berkeley but the driver allegedly accelerated away when police tried to follow it.

The officers gave chase, following the car from Nolan Street onto Northcliffe Drive, then Holborn Street and Southampton Street.

Williams was driving erratically and was seen to swerve on the roadway, speed and run through intersections without stopping.

The vehicle came to an abrupt stop outside a home in Southampton Street before Williams jumped out of the car and fled on foot.

Police gave chase, at which time they claimed they were able to identify the man as Williams through his distinctive swastika neck tattoo, but were unable to catch up to him and he escaped.

Meanwhile, police were patrolling Northcliffe Drive that day when they saw Williams outside a unit in the Illawong Gardens apartment complex on May 4.

He was subsequently found hiding under a pile of clothes behind a lounge inside one of the units.

He was taken to Wollongong Police Station where he was charged with multiple driving offences.

The court also heard that on April 17 last year Williams was involved in another police pursuit where he reached speeds of 100 km/h in a 50 km/h zone.

In court on Tuesday, defence lawyer Caitlin Drabble described the pursuits as falling in the "mid-range" seriousness before noting her client's record did not help him as Williams had been on parole at the time of the pursuits.

She went on to say Williams had used drugs most of his life as a way to cope with his alleged childhood sexual abuse and felt he was neglected by his parents.

Ms Drabble said a breakdown in his relationship caused him to move to NSW from Queensland where he "spiraled out of control" and took heavy drugs before became homeless.

She added his time on remand for the driving charges had been particularly onerous as he had been physically and sexually assaulted but he had managed to completed programs and was clean from drugs.

Williams vowed to "change ways" and said he "regretted" his actions.

Magistrate Girotto took into account Williams difficult upbringing and time in custody as well as the seriousness of the pursuits.

She sentenced him to two years in prison which was backdated to May 2020 before imposing a 12-month non-parole period.

Williams will be released to parole on Saturday.

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