Brian Ian Millar fined over serious offences including fleeing an RBT

A 42-year-old man has avoided jail after pleading guilty to a string of offences during a “drug-induced psychosis” in Perth’s southern suburbs. Brian Ian Millar appeared before Rockingham Magistrates Court on January 6, charged with one count of assault occasioning bodily harm, criminal damage, drove a motor vehicle under the influence, possess a prohibited drug, used an unlicensed vehicle and two counts of breach of bail, driving a vehicle with forged plates, possession of stolen property and stealing. Prosecutor Sgt Brian Sutherland told the court that about 9.57pm on May 11, 2017, an RBT was stationed along a dual carriageway on Gilmore Avenue in view of approaching traffic. A marked police car was parked in the right hand lane and testing drivers in the left hand lane. Emergency lights were also flashing at the time to make it more visible to approaching vehicles. Millar was driving a Falcon sedan at the time. Officers noticed the vehicle was not slowing down and one of the officers attempted to signal for the vehicle to stop. Millar continued driving towards the officers at about 60km/h. There were also several vehicles in the left hand lane at the time. Millar did not stop or slow down and officers were forced to move out the way to avoid being struck by the vehicle. At the last moment Millar swerved his vehicle to try and avoid collision with the stationed police vehicle, however, crashed into the vehicle. He was arrested about 100m down the road and drugs were also seized by police. A police officer was taken to Rockingham General Hospital to be treated for minor injuries, including scratches to his left leg following the incident. Millar’s lawyer Roxanne Hitchcock said that the “facts were accepted”. Ms Hitchcock said that at the time of the incident, Millar was “experiencing drug-induced psychosis after quite a long period of drug use”. “He instructs that he has now been clean for some time after doing seven years in rehab and no longer uses drugs or alcohol,” she said. “He last used drugs two years ago.” Ms Hitchcock said that since the offending Mr Millar “has worked hard to get (drugs) out of his life” and is living a prosocial life with the support of his partner. Millar was sentenced to nine months imprisonment suspended for six months, fined $4,400 and ordered to pay $190 in court costs.