The 18-year-old pleaded guilty in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court to charges of driving in a dangerous manner while being pursued by police after being given a direction to stop, driving while disqualified and driving an unregistered vehicle.
Prosecutor Senior Constable Luke Lund told the court police tried to stop the teen, who was riding a scooter in Northumberland Cres, Shepparton, on December 21, 2021.
When he did not stop, police turned on their lights and sirens, but he sped off.
Another vehicle had to take action to avoid a collision with the teen, and he also nearly hit a fence and a car, before riding off through a nearby school and sports oval, Sen Constable Lund said.
The court was told the teenager handed himself in to police the next day.
He told police he “saw the police car and panicked” before riding through the school and then dumping the scooter.
The teen’s solicitor Luke Slater said his client was now living with a professional couple who had taken an interest in him.
Mr Slater said his client was on parole at the time of this incident, but the parole board did not revoke his parole over this incident because they were impressed with him self-presenting to police.
Mr Slater told the court it was “the lights” on the police car that “triggered his client to flee and drive dangerously”.
“On reflection he knows it was a stupid decision.”
Magistrate David Faram fined the teenager $750.
He also disqualified him from driving for 12 months — with the disqualification period to run alongside a disqualification he already has over another driving matter.
“That’s a modest fine in the circumstances,” Mr Faram said.
“I have taken into account you handed yourself in. That’s a really important step.
“You would have worried about your parole being violated.
“Perhaps things are starting to go in the right direction for you.”
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