Magistrate notes Adelaide speeding spate amid four court cases
Wild driving in broad daylight down busy streets, 200km/h with a gun in the car and hours-long pursuits - these allegations have prompted a startling assessment of SA driving.
North & North East
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Five months on from the introduction of harsh penalties for hoon drivers South Australia continues to face a trend of dangerous high-speed driving, according to a magistrate.
After presiding over custody appearances for five people allegedly involved in allegations of driving at dangerous and extreme speeds, Magistrate Mark Semmens made the damning comments.
“There is a spate of high-speed driving in Adelaide at this time,” he said.
Mr Semmens’s statement came amid a bail application by Victorian man Levi Jason Jones, 22, who was arrested alongside Echuca woman Caitlin Alexandra Wellington, 31.
The court heard Mr Jones, 22, was allegedly the driver of a Toyota Hilux the tracked using a PolAir chopper, GPS and radar while observing it hitting speeds of 133km/h.
Police prosecutor John Taliangis told the court the speeds were clocked while the car was driving down Main North Rd at Elizabeth Downs during the early afternoon.
“It’s obviously not ideal for other motorists on the road at the time,” he said.
Mr Semmens ordered a home detention report for Mr Jones, who was charged with dangerous driving to escape a police pursuit, interfering with a motor vehicle, two counts of driving at a dangerous speed and driving while not authorised to be on the road.
He also ordered a report for Ms Wellington, who the court heard was a passenger in the car which was allegedly stolen from a woman in Victoria before being driven to SA, on a single charge of illegal use of a motor vehicle.
The Victoria duo faced court immediately after 34-year-old Rhyse Marks who was also arrested on unrelated charges of driving at extreme speeds, dangerous driving to escape a police pursuit, driving without due care, driving in a manner dangerous to the public, driving unlicensed and other traffic offences.
Police will allege Mr Marks, who made no application for bail, was actively tracked by PolAir as he wove his way through the north and northeastern suburbs from 8pm until 1.30am the next day when he was arrested while filling up fuel.
Mr Marks’s matters were heard shortly after those of a Lobethal carpenter who Mr Taliangis opposed a bail application for.
Mr Taliangis told the court the man was allegedly part of a “high speed chase that went on for some time”.
Mr Semmens described the charges as “gravely serious” before ordering a home detention report.
But the highest speeding allegations belonged to Hamley Bridge 27-year-old Jeremy Jake Paues who police will allege was clocked travelling 200km/h along Port Wakefield Rd.
Police will allege they were called to Taylors Rd at Virginia to reports of a car doing burnouts before a Ford sedan allegedly fled the scene and was tracked by PolAir.
They say PolAir officers saw the car spin-out after blowing a tyre before Mr Paues allegedly threw a Gel Blaster firearm into nearby bushes prior to police arresting him.
He was charged with driving dangerously to escape police pursuit, driving at an extreme speed, driving unregistered, driving contrary to defect, driving with unassigned plates and possessing a firearm without a licence.
None of Mr Jones, Ms Wellington, Mr Marks, the Lobethal man or Mr Paues have made pleas to any of the charges.
They will all face court again later this month.
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