Owen John Charles Scafe: Dad in court for attempting to ram police car

A drug-addicted young father has been given a jail sentence after fronting an Ipswich court for a stack of serious charges including dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

A young dad who stole number plates from a bus used by an Ipswich private school and reversed at speed in the direction of a police car has been sentenced for his crimes.

Owen Scafe, 28, from Woodridge appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court on Friday, February 11, where he pleaded guilty to a number of serious charges including stealing a vehicle, possessing dangerous drugs, and driving under the influence.

The court heard all offending occurred between July 20, 2020 and August 12 last year.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Nick Turnbull said the most serious offences were that of dangerous operation of a vehicle, evasion, and unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

He told the court that on June 7 last year, at 4.41am, Karana Downs police spotted Scafe driving a Nissan Navara that had suspect number plates on its trailer at Brassall.

Scafe evaded police but they kept in their pursuit of him until he stopped in the middle of the road and began reversing at speed towards a police vehicle, forcing officers to take urgent evasive action.

The court heard that just days prior, on June 2, police received a complaint that a car had been stolen. CCTV footage later showed Scafe taking the car.

Police also received a complaint from Ipswich private school West Moreton Anglican College staff about number plates that had been stolen from a school bus.

It was later discovered they had been attached by Scafe to a stolen vehicle.

Defence lawyer Rhiannon Dhillon told the court Scafe had shared custody of his four-year-old daughter and the support of his mother.

She also said her client had long had learning difficulties and a drug addiction, but had been clean and completing rehabilitation courses while in custody.

Acting Magistrate Geoffrey Seaholme said he had taken into account Scafe’s plea of guilty and his display of ‘genuine remorse’.

He also considered his criminal history, his traffic history, and the time he had spent in presentence custody which was “not insubstantial”.

Scafe was sentenced to a total of 24 months’ imprisonment, with Mr Seaholme declaring 249 days between June 7 last year and Thursday, February 10 this year as time already served.

He was given immediate court-ordered parole and was disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for two years.