Michael Andrew Cordwell sentenced after extensive crime spree across SA

A former cook who has removed his home detention ankle bracelet four times in the past has been locked up following a spree of high-speed police pursuits and thefts across the state.

A former cook who cut off his home detention bracelet after stealing several vehicles and engaging in multiple high-speed police pursuits has been jailed for his actions.

Michael Andrew Cordwell, 47, pleaded guilty in the Port Augusta Magistrate Court to 14 separate charges spanning over a 20-month period between February 2021 and October 2022.

The crime spree began February 3 2021, when Cordwell stole a Rinnai hot water system from a residential home in Lightsview.

Cordwell was apprehended three months later on April 26 after crashing a stolen Mazda ute into a black Ford van on South Road at Croydon.

Magistrate McLeod told the court Cordwell had replaced the vehicle number plate and there was a stolen red Holden motorcycle on the ute’s tray when the collision occurred.

Cordwell was said to be swerving into oncoming traffic and braking in front of police during his pursuit. Picture: File

“You checked on the driver of the other vehicle who had been injured and then you ran off carrying a small dog,” Magistrate McLeod said.

On April 2022, Cordwell was spotted by an off-duty police officer towing a stolen Kubota excavator and trailer from Renmark to a property in Pyap.

Police located the stolen goods at the property and noted that the trailer’s registration plates had been altered with electrical tape.

Cordwell was seen by police later that morning on the Sturt Highway at Waikerie, where a patrol attempted to pull him over.

“Police activated their lights for you to pull over but instead you pulled away, at times slamming on your brakes trying to cause the police vehicle to run into the back of you,” Magistrate McLeod said.

“The pursuit continue along Old Blanchetown Road before you cut across a fruit orchard, where you drove over and damaged a pistachio tree.”

Police called off the pursuit due to Cordwell’s “excessive” speeds when he returned to Old Blanchetown Road.

Cordwell was later spotted again speeding through Waikerie by police and was engaged in a second pursuit at an “estimated speed of 150km per hour.”

“Again you tried to make the police vehicle crash into the back of your vehicle by braking heavily when crossing the Blanchetown Bridge,” Magistrate McLeod said.

Cordwell lead police through a Waikerie pistachio farm before the pursuit was called off. Picture: File

“Your driving was observed to be erratic with jerky steering towards the centre line of the road causing oncoming traffic to take evasive action.”

Cordwell eventually jumped out of the vehicle at Annandale, where a passenger in the stolen vehicle was arrested.

When police caught up to Cordwell, he faced the police in a “boxing stance” and was subsequently pepper sprayed.

Cordwell continued to run away and was eventually tackled to the ground by two police officers and arrested.

After spending five month in custody, Cordwell was released on home detention bail August 31 2022, spending five days at a location in Semaphore Park before cutting off his home detention bracelet.

On October 7, police located Cordwell in the back of a white Toyota van in the driveway of a Whyalla Stuart address.

The vehicle had been stolen from a Somerton Park residence in November 2021 and had altered registration plates.

Magistrate McLeod, in sentencing, described Cordwell’s prospect of rehabilitation “difficult to assess as anything other than poor.”

Cordwell pleaded guilty to several charges including theft, illegal use, unauthorised driving, breach bail, police pursuit and using incorrect number plates.

He was sentence to 28 months in prison with a non-parole period of 14 months.