A former Australian Federal Police officer, Ben Robert Wager, has been sentenced to six months' jail, suspended, after pleading guilty to aggravated dangerous driving.

The court heard Wager drove at 160kmh in an 80kmh zone while returning from a 12-hour shift at Summernats, weaving between lanes and crashing into a barrier.

Chief Magistrate Louise Taylor condemned the conduct as 'brazen, deliberate' and emphasized that his actions posed significant risks to road users.Despite no prior criminal history and showing remorse, Wager's use of a marked police vehicle to commit the offense aggravated the case.The magistrate noted the community expected him to protect them, not betray their trust.Wager, who previously received a bravery award for saving a drowning child, now works at the US embassy.

The court accepted his plea for a suspended sentence due to his good prospects for rehabilitation and the hardship his pregnant wife would face in custody.