A MAN who had never held a driver’s licence and was affected by illicit drugs when he mowed down two cyclists during a charity bike ride in Esperance – and then drove away – has been jailed for more than three years.

Sergeant Roberta Richardson and Carla Martella were riding in the Tour De Freedom 1000, a five-day ride from Esperance to Perth, when they were hit by a car driven by 51-year-old Kevin Anthony Barton in October 2015.

Sgt Richardson sustained serious injuries, including a “permanent disability” to her ankle, while Ms Martella suffered several cuts and bruises to her body.

District Court Judge Laurie Levy sentenced Barton to three years and two months behind bars today after he pleaded guilty to five serious driving charges.

They included dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, dangerous driving occasioning bodily harm, failing to stop and failing to report an incident.

The court was told Barton had injected “a cocktail” of methamphetamine and adrenalin shortly before the hit-and-run and had experienced a “burst of energy”.

Barton initially refused to speak to police after he was arrested in Norseman, but in a later interview he admitted his involvement, telling them he panicked after hitting the cyclists.

Camera Icon Cyclist and Kensington police officer Sgt Roberta Richardson in hospital. Credit: Sharon Smith.

He took officers to a bush location where he had removed stolen number plates off the car in an attempt to disguise it.

Judge Levy said Barton had a “horrific” criminal history, which includes “tens and tens” of driving convictions in WA, NSW and QLD.

“I haven’t even begun to count how many convictions you have,” he said.

“There’s literally more than a centimetre’s worth of paper detailing your criminal history across Australia.”

Defence lawyer Henry Sklarz said Barton accumulated his long criminal history when he was a member of an outlaw motorcycle gang, which he left a decade ago.

Mr Sklarz said Barton accepted responsibility for his crime and experienced “deep regret and remorse” for his victims.

He said he had written a three-page letter in which he apologised to Sgt Richardson and Ms Martella.

“If I could go back in time I would have never put myself in such a stupid, idiotic situation,” the letter said.

Judge Levy said he read the letter with “some degree of scepticism” given Barton’s criminal history.

“Nonetheless there were some expressions of remorse that appear to be genuine,” he said.

Judge Levy also disqualified Barton from holding a driver’s licence for three years and two months.

He was made eligible for parole.