An off-duty policeman's keen eye for a fake kicked off a dramatic confrontation between police and a young driver in a stolen car in the middle of the Wollongong CBD on Thursday afternoon.
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The officer was travelling along Memorial Drive at Towradgi about 3.30pm when he spotted a 2016 Holden Commodore SSV sedan that's number plate appeared to have been altered using a black texta.
The officer phoned colleagues to report the anomaly and followed the Commodore off the highway at Wollongong and along Flinders Street, where it pulled into the Car Lovers car wash at the intersection of Campbell Street.
Highway Patrol officers arrived at the location a short time later and one officer parked his car directly behind the Commodore.
The officer approached the driver's side door, allegedly identifying Mitchel Jeffery Brooks, 29, as the driver and Stacey Anne Collins, 30, in the front passenger seat.
Police will allege Brooks immediately reversed the Commodore harshly and ran into the highway patrol car, before accelerating forward, stopping and reversing again.
It is alleged Brooks rammed the police vehicle five times before generating an opening large enough for him to drive through.
He drove out of the car wash onto Campbell Street - directly over a raised concrete island - then collided with the nearside of a white Nissan Navara at the roundabout. It is alleged Brooks rammed the vehicle into the highway patrol car for a sixth time before accelerating north on Flinders Street.
Police initiated a pursuit but were forced to terminate it on Montague Street for safety reasons after the Commodore crossed to the wrong side of the road at speed.
It is alleged Brooks continued to drive dangerously towards Bulli, including travelling north on Memorial Drive in the southbound lane. Police said several motorists had to swerve to avoid collisions.
Police discovered the vehicle dumped at the Woonona Beach car park a short time later.
Brooks was arrested on Franklin Avenue at Bulli, while a "sweaty and out of breath" Collins was apprehended near Bulli Beach.
Brooks was charged with a host of driving offences. He did not apply for bail in Wollongong court on Friday and it was formally refused.
Meanwhile, Collins was granted strict conditional after Magistrate Jillian Kiely found the case against her was not strong and even if she was found guilty, she would be unlikely to face a full-time jail sentence.
Brooks' case was adjourned to February 25, while Collins will return to court on March 17.
