A homeless man from the North-West has been imprisoned after pleading guilty to a number of charges, including defying COVID restrictions. Brandon Leigh Fletcher-Jones appeared via video link before the Burnie Magistrates Court on Wednesday to be sentenced for a series of offences committed over a two to three week stint in April earlier this year. On April 11, Mr Fletcher-Jones - who does not hold a driver's licence - crashed a borrowed car near the entrance of a West Coast mine while trying to evade police. The court heard police had come across the defendant while he was sleeping in the car on the side of the road and stirred him. After giving the false name, the defendant adjusted the drivers seat to an upright, driving position, turned the ignition and sped off with a "harsh acceleration" and "slight skid". "Police pursued you ... it was not a police chase per se, but they pursued you," Magistrate Tamara Jago said. It didn't take long for the police to locate Mr Fletcher-Jones, who crashed the car about 250 metres from where he took off. The court also heard Mr Fletcher-Jones had committed a string of offences between April 16 and 23 while "going in and out" of vacant houses, including stealing heaters. "Your transient lifestyle failed to comply with Public Health," Magistrate Tamara Jago said. The magistrate said the defendant's history showed he was addicted to drugs, had been subject to abuse as a child and tended to commit crimes when using illicit substances "to the extreme". She said he had also previously proved himself capable of stability and rehabilitation in the past when sober. "In the year leading up ... you'd been able to find and maintain stable employment at the Zeehan Hotel," she said. "Unfortunately your life had experiences that threw it into chaos. "Your partner was in a car accident at the beginning of the year which brought back bad memories of a car accident involving your step father." She said he had previously taken efforts to improve his health and undertake cognitive behaviour therapy after prior convictions. She sentenced him to six months in prison backdated to April 25, and court costs of $420.80. His drivers licence will be disqualified for two years from the date of his release. Why not pick up a subscription to The Advocate? Sign up here.