An Illawarra man has admitted to carrying out a three-week crime spree that included stealing multiple cars, intimidating a paramedic and erratic driving that ended in a fiery car crash which left a woman with serious injuries on the bonnet of a car.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Kevin Stanos, 31, plead guilty to seven charges on Wednesday in Wollongong Local Court for crimes that stemmed back to December 2018.
In an agreed set of police facts tendered to court, Stanos' first target was stealing a white Volkswagon Golf station wagon and a Mercedes from a home in Blackheath on November 12 before he drove in it with a woman to Shellharbour Motel on November 23 where he gave the receptionist identification to book the room.
Only a couple days later, Stanos took registration plates from a car parked at a Minnamurra home and attached them on the stolen Volkswagon.
The next day, Stanos stole another car, this time a black Isuzu MU-X from a Dapto home, and drove it to Warrawong Plaza where CCTV footage captured him stealing registration plates from a car in the shopping centre's underground parking lot.
Court documents said only a couple hours later, Stanos and an unknown passenger failed to stop when police spotted them in the stolen car in the Flinders area. Police initiated a pursuit with Stanos driving dangerously through a roundabout before police lost sight of them.
The pair left the car at Shellharbour Club, where it was later found by officers. Inside there was 26 grams of crystal methamphetamine, an ice pipe, a woman's handbag and mobile phone.
"The DNA profile of the offender was later matched to the steering wheel of the vehicle, the mouth piece of the ice pipe and on the packaging of the clear resealable bag contain methamphetamine," court documents said.
The following morning at 4.50am, Stanos' actions escalated when he was driving the stolen Volkswagon, which had been painted red, along Daintree Drive, Albion Park with a female friend as a passenger.
Santos mounted the side footpath and travelled over the council nature strip before trying to return to the road.
But as he did that, the car crash heavily into a parked truck, which then collided with another two parked cars.
The Volkswagon slid across the road and burst into flames.
Santos got out of the car, dragged his friend out and carried her up a driveway and placed her on the bonnet of another car.
He yelled for someone to call an ambulance before running from the scene.
The women suffered "extensive leg and abdominal injuries and was flown to hospital in a critical condition", where she was had emergency surgery for a perforated bowel, lacerations of the spleen and a displaced, multi-part fracture of the left femur which was repaired with a large metal rod and screws.
The woman told police Santos was driving the car.
Court documents said Santos once again stole a car from a garage located one street away from the fiery crash. It was later found burnt out in a field off Buckley's Road, Dunmore.
A couple of days later on December 10, Santos stole a Toyota Aurion from outside an Albion Park Rail home. He was allegedly with co-accused Greg Merrit.
The car owner and his friends raced outside to see the car take off down the street before the friends got into another car to chase it down.
However, there was no fuel in the Aurion. CCTV footage shows the pair had to stop at a petrol station, within a kilometre of the car owner's home.
The friends spotted the car, pulled into the service station and cut off its path.
The friends got out, opened the driver's side door when Merrit allegedly threatened them forcing them to back away which allowed the pair to drive off.
Police allege the pair discarded the stolen plates in Avondale and dumped the car at the University of Wollongong, where it was discovered days later.
On December 22, Santos was finally arrested but not before threatening a paramedic.
Santos had driven his unregistered motorbike, with stolen number plates, to Menai before he sat down on a driveway in Meckiff Close "drifting in an out of consciousness", prompting nearby residents to call emergency services.
An ambulance arrived shortly later to help Santos but he became aggressive, agitated and "shaped up" towards a paramedic.
"[Santos] attempted to get into the driver's seat of the ambulance, however officers locked the vehicle before he could enter," court documents said.
Paramedics backed away as Santos continued to yell at them. Police arrived shortly after prompting Santos to run down the street before a foot chase ensued.
He was apprehended and when the officer attempted to restrain Santos, he tried to grab the senior constable's belt and firearm holster but was promptly handcuffed.
Police found methamphetamine, cocaine, cannabis and methadone, which he was not prescribed, and other drug paraphernalia as well as a mobile phone jamming device in Santos' backpack.
After being released from hospital on December 27, Santos was charged with 36 offences, several of which were withdrawn or will be taken into consideration upon sentencing.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of knowingly drive stolen vehicle in conveyance, drive in a manner dangerous causing grievous bodily harm, two counts of take and drive in conveyance, supply prohibited drug and intimidation.
Santos will be sentenced on March 20 in Wollongong District Court.
Subscribe to our newsletters for breaking news and alerts
