A 20-year-old Nowra man has been refused bail on Sunday morning, charged with a string of offences relating to a police car chase from Dunmore to Mount Kembla and unregistered firearms.
Thomas Steen fronted Wollongong Local Court, accused of stealing a ute then leading police on a pursuit which ended in a dramatic crash on Saturday afternoon.
Police allege a woman and child were in the ute at the time, while Steen is one of two people to be charged over the incident on September 30.
It's alleged around 1.30pm Saturday, Highway Patrol officers tried to stop a Mazda ute (reportedly stolen from a Jamberoo home during a break-in) on the Princes Highway at Dunmore. But it's claimed the Mazda sped off and a pursuit was initiated.
The Mazda was then monitored by a PolAir helicopter as it travelled north before being seen turning into Woodrow Place at Figtree, according to police.
Upon turning around, the Mazda collided with a police vehicle before continuing south on the highway, it then collided with a BMW on Cordeaux Road.
The occupants of the police vehicle and BMW were not injured.
Shortly after, the Mazda lost control and crashed on Harry Graham Drive at Mount Kembla, and the driver arrested.
A 23-year-old woman and child in the ute were not injured, police said.
During a search of the vehicle, officers allegedly found three firearms which were seized to be forensically examined.
Steen was taken to Wollongong Hospital, under police guard for treatment, before being escorted to Wollongong Police Station around 7.20pm and formerly charged.
The charges include possessing an unregistered firearm-not pistol/prohibited firearm, two counts of possessing an unregistered firearm - pistol, three counts of police pursuit - not stop - drive recklessly, drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous, two counts of never licensed person drive vehicle on road, break and enter into a house and steal, use an offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention, driving a motor vehicle exceeding the speed of more than 45 km/h, take and drive conveyance without consent of owner, drive with child not restrained, unrestrained passenger, and other traffic offences.
The 23-year-old woman was also arrested and charged with be carried in conveyance taken without consent of the owner. She was granted conditional bail to appear at Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday October 31.
Steen will remain behind bars until his next court appearance in Nowra, on Tuesday October 3.
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Desiree Savage
I write about arts and entertainment, plus other bits and pieces in between at the Illawarra Mercury.
I write about arts and entertainment, plus other bits and pieces in between at the Illawarra Mercury.
