Baby-in-box bandit back in court

He was arrested by police on Monday, July 13 and granted bail with conditions including a curfew and a driving ban.

He was in court on new charges of dangerous driving while being pursued, failing to stop on police direction and driving while disqualified.

Last year Atkinson stole a Volkswagen car from a supermarket car park on Maude St, Shepparton.

He removed a sleeping 15-month-old boy from the vehicle, placing him in a box in the car park before driving away.

The car’s owner returned to the parking space and found the toddler, who was not physically injured and still sleeping.

Police found the stolen car with a broken windscreen in Mooroopna parkland the next day.

Atkinson was sentenced to a 20-month intensive drug and alcohol treatment order to be served in the community and was also disqualified from driving.

In Thursday’s bail application, Atkinson’s representative, Luke Slater, said his client had a mild intellectual disability, and an acquired brain injury requiring medication. In the three nights spent in custody he had not been able to access his medication.

Mr Slater also said Atkinson had been the victim of assaults when in custody.

Informant Senior Constable Thomas Christie told the court he had seen Atkinson driving a car from the Peppermill Hotel car park on July 10.

He said Atkinson had ignored a direction to pull over and they began a pursuit with lights flashing before abandoning the chase due to the risk of danger to other road users.

Several cars had to swerve to avoid a collision with the fleeing driver.

Atkinson had also been seen in a car with stolen number plates at the Shepparton Club car park.

Sen Constable Christie said Atkinson had admitted to being a drug addict and had appeared in the Shepparton Drug Court.

On a visit to Atkinson’s living quarters, Sen Constable Christie had noticed drug paraphernalia.

Atkinson’s latest charges were adjourned to a later court date for hearing.