A man who was found hiding in a garbage bin after a colourful Christmas Eve police pursuit at Lake Heights has had his bail revoked after he was allegedly spotted leaving a Wollongong drug house on Friday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Caine Arnett piqued the interest of police who were carrying out speed checks on Lake Heights Road at Lake Heights just after 4pm on Christmas Eve, when he was allegedly spotted riding a maroon Harley-Davidson motorcycle slightly over the 50km/h speed limit, looking like he was struggling to keep the bike under control.
Police followed the Harley over several back streets before Arnett allegedly veered it onto a footpath on Mirrabooka Street at low speed.
Police allege Arnett looked in the direction of the police car before slamming on the throttle, taking off northward at 90km/h in the 50km/h residential area.
With lights flashing and sirens sounding, police gave chase. The Harley slowed to 40km/h at the intersection of Mirrabooka St and Karrabah Cres.
According to a police account considered by Wollongong Local Court on Monday, Arnett tried to turn the bike right but instead travelled straight ahead and hit the kerb.
He was ejected from the bike as it flipped onto the footpath.
Police allege Arnett then ran northward, jumping a resident's fence to pass from Karrabah Cres onto Melinda Grove.
After a short search, police allegedly found him inside a bin in the backyard of a Karrabah Cres home.
He was arrested and allegedly admitted to having been the Harley rider. Checks showed he had never held a driver's licence and was disqualified from obtaining one due to a previous driving offence.
The chase came two days after Arnett was released from jail for unrelated matters. He was charged with police pursuit, drive while disqualified and drive unregistered.
A court later released Arnett on strict conditional bail which required him to enter into a drug rehabilitation program.
But on Monday the court heard Arnett never attended the program.
Instead, he was picked up by police on Friday as he was allegedly spotted departing a "known drug premises" on Gipps St, Wollongong.
Police prosecutor Sgt David Weaver opposed Arnett's application for bail in court on Monday.
The court heard he had previously failed to appear in court multiple times.
"Of great concern as well is the fact that whilst on bail, he was granted a place in rehab and he's never attended. Instead he was found by police walking down the stairwell from a known drug premises," Sgt Weaver said.
Arnett's defence lawyer, Caitlin Drabble, told the court her client had tried to go to rehabilitation.
"My instructions are, Mr Arnett contacted them on release and was told that because he was on the methadone program it would make him ineligible [for rehab]." Bail was refused. The matter returns to court on August 31.
The Illawarra Mercury news app is now officially live on both iOS and Android devices. It is available for download in the Apple Store and Google Play.
Angela Thompson
Proudly Illawarra Mercury since 2008; these days covering crime and justice issues. UOW alum. Thrilled by the chase and sobered by some of the things I see and hear when I stand still - sometimes in the same day. ang.thompson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Proudly Illawarra Mercury since 2008; these days covering crime and justice issues. UOW alum. Thrilled by the chase and sobered by some of the things I see and hear when I stand still - sometimes in the same day. ang.thompson@austcommunitymedia.com.au
