Business owner Mesa Perry charged with evading police, driving without due care

A Sunshine Coast woman with “serious drug matters” on her history says she’s too busy with her business to front court over evading police charges.

Mesa Emily Perry faced the Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Picture: Facebook

An Alexandra Headland business owner has been asked if she wants to go to jail after being accused of evading police around New Year’s Eve.

Mesa Emily Perry, 23, was told in the Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Wednesday if she failed to turn up to court again she risked being bail refused following multiple adjournments and an alleged failure to appear.

The 23-year-old, with an Instagram following of about 9000, also faces charges of driving without due care and attention and evasion following an alleged incident with police along Pignata Rd at Palmwoods on December 30, 2023.

In court on Wednesday, Magistrate Rod Madsen read out a series of emails Perry sent to the court requesting adjournments, including one where she said she must attend her “work duties” because she was a “solo business owner”.

Maroochydore Magistrates Court. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Mr Madsen queried whether she had sent a Legal Aid application, which her lawyer Cherisse Breese said she had sent an email.

The Maroochydore magistrate asked police prosecutor Nick Nitschke if she had other failure to appears to which Sergeant Nitschke said she only had “serious drug matters” on her record.

Ms Breese said she strongly advised Perry she needed representation, with Mr Madsen later asking “does she want to go jail” due to the evasion offence.

“If she doesn’t turn up next time … she could be bail refused and sit in custody for 50 days,” Mr Madsen said.

“And that’s going to be tragic.”

Perry had her matters adjourned to April 10.