Man allegedly hit four vehicles driving stolen car ‘erratically and dangerously’

Mr Weston is charged with dangerous driving while being pursued by police, dangerous driving, driving while being pursued by police, two counts of failing to stop on police direction, five counts of vehicle theft, using an unregistered vehicle and three counts of driving while disqualified.

He is also charged with three counts of possessing a firearm as a prohibited person, four counts of possessing a firearm with no serial number, possessing cartridge ammunition, burglary, theft and three counts of committing an indictable offence on bail.

Shepparton Crime Investigation Unit Senior Constable Harrison Davis told the court Mr Weston allegedly drove a stolen Holden Rodeo “erratically and dangerously” out of an Archer St car park across a footpath, hitting four vehicles on October 13.

Police Air Wing tracked the car speeding towards an abandoned property where Mr Weston and his co-accused allegedly fled.

Mr Weston was later arrested at a house where police found two guns, one of which was in a photo on his phone.

Police found firearm ammunition and someone else’s debit card searching the Rodeo.

Sen Constable Davis told the court the Rodeo had been stolen from a Lemnos farm on September 18.

It was allegedly used during the theft of a Mazda CX5 from Vibert Reserve, Shepparton in October, which police found the day afterwards.

The Mazda was towed to Heywoods Shepparton, where Mr Weston allegedly broke in with unknown offenders, stealing about 50 sets of keys to vehicles in the impound lot on October 10, Sen Constable Davis said.

He allegedly broke into Heywoods a second time with a co-accused, searching a Nissan Patrol on October 11.

Police believe both alleged burglaries were an attempt to access the Mazda, which had live ammunition rounds and two sawn-off rifles inside.

Sen Constable Davis said Mr Weston’s fingerprint was found on the trigger guard of one of the guns.

The court heard four males wearing balaclavas, one believed to be Mr Weston, allegedly broke into the vehicle storage yard a third time on October 12, using the stolen keys to check if vehicles were drivable.

A Holden Astra was allegedly used to ram a metal gate twice, destroying it, and allowing a Ford Territory to leave.

Mr Weston’s phone, and a large amount of the stolen keys, were found in the Astra on Harold St.

His fingerprints were on the Territory’s door handle when it was found without number plates on Hamilton St, Sen Constable Davis said.

The Rodeo was seen outside the vehicle storage yard with false number plates at the time of the burglary.

Sen Constable Davis said the Rodeo was allegedly speeding into oncoming traffic, despite police activating their lights and sirens at the Grutzner Ave and Numurkah Rd intersection on October 9.

It then allegedly drove across two lanes into a different police vehicle — which has since been written off — that had activated its lights to warn motorists.

The court heard Mr Weston had been allegedly speeding into oncoming traffic in the Rodeo on Wyndham St on October 10, not stopping for police who had activated their lights and sirens.

Sen Constable Davis said the incident was near two schools, and vehicles were forced to take “evasive action” to avoid a head-on collision.

Mr Weston allegedly used a pair of bolt cutters to cut a padlock secured to a motorbike, before stealing it in Numurkah on September 11.

Mr Weston’s defence solicitor Ian Michaelson said his client was a young Aboriginal man who had a cognitive impairment.

Mr Michaelson said there were clear issues of delay in the case being heard in court and identification.

He said the risk Mr Weston posed to the community would be reduced while he was in a culturally appropriate residential rehabilitation facility, which he’d never completed before.

In refusing Mr Weston bail, magistrate Megan Casey said Mr Weston was facing “incredibly serious allegations” that placed him and the community at significant risk of death or serious injury.

She said the strength of the prosecution case varied.

Mr Weston will next face court on December 15.