An Albury magistrate has paid tribute to a mother's support of her son despite her being the victim of some of his criminal offending that included robbing a friend of his car at knife-point.
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Ryan Casey pinched two debit cards from his mother, which he then used to buy drinks and a Visa birthday gift card.
"His mum's here today; long-suffering, I expect, but supportive," magistrate Richard Funston said.
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Mr Funston said Casey's offending on January 2 when he pulled the knife on his friend "is particularly serious".
"The act of that kind of stand-over merchant, that kind of stand-over approach in life, you must go to jail."
Mr Funston also drew attention to Casey's horrendous driving after his victim fled on being threatened with the knife, the accused leading police on a pursuit in which he reached speeds of up to 150km/h on the Riverina Highway east of Albury.
"This is how people die on the roads as well."
As he was driven around by the victim, Casey turned to him, grabbed him by the shirt and warned: "There's already a $4000 bounty on your head. If you go to the police I will burn your f---ing car and your home."
He took out a knife and pointed it at the driver, who fled.
"If you go to the police, you're dead," Casey warned as he drove away.
The victim quickly called Triple-0 and the car was seen on Eastern Circuit.
He then sped off towards Lake Hume, before turning around and travelling at 140km/h on the Riverina Highway as police pursued him.
Police used tyre spikes near Table Top Road but Casey continued at 130km/h as he passed Elizabeth Mitchell Drive and overtook another car at high speed.
He stopped near Bennu Circuit, put his hands out the window and dropped out the keys.
Police found the knife in the car. Casey told police he was "trying to get the attention of my brother", who is a NSW police officer.
Casey, 31, of East Albury, was jailed for two years after pleading to several charges, including police pursuit and aggravated assault with intention to take or drive a motor vehicle.
A non-parole period of 12 months will have him eligible for release on January 1, 2021.
But before he was jailed, he said he wanted "to apologise to my mother, for starters. I have taken ownership of this."
Casey was disqualified from driving for 18 months and ordered to pay $9000 compensation for a car he took for a test drive but failed to return to Albury Super Cheap Car Sales on December 2.
