Former award-winning chef sentenced to jail after high speed pursuit
Award-winning chef Paul Smith who once worked for global hotel giant Accor will serve 21 months in jail after leading police on a wild multi-state car chase.
Smith was well known in the hospitality community, having won awards working as a chef at Accor Group hotel's Pullman on the Park in Melbourne's CBD.
He won Victoria's Accor employee of the year for 2015.
Smith was in a stolen vehicle when the pursuit started in Mildura, in Victoria's northwest. He led police on a high-speed chase through Morphett Vale, in Adelaide's south, before continuing through the Adelaide Hills.
Tyre spikes to try and slow the car down in Longwood failed and Smith continued into the Adelaide Hills suburb of Bridgewater, ramming a police car in the process.
Smith was more than 300km from where the car was initially stolen, when police cornered him and dragged him out of the car.
Chief Judge Mary-Louise Hribal called Smith’s actions extremely dangerous. She said Smith had 'placed members of the public and police in danger of serious injury and death'.
“You had little thought for them... you drove deliberately into the side of a police car accelerating forcibly pushing the vehicle out of the way,” Chief Judge Hribel said.
Smith has a long criminal history and addiction to both meth and cannabis.
He will serve a non-parole period of 14 months.
Victoria Police will also extradite Smith to Victoria at the end of his jail term to answer for outstanding warrants against him.
Irit Jackson, 4th April 2023
