Dean Richards pleads guilty to driving stolen car into Golden Beach home, three hour siege

The victims of a man who led police on a wild chase through a Sunshine Coast suburb have shown grace towards him even after he destroyed their home.

A Caboolture man’s words to specialist police in the moments before he was arrested following a three-hour siege on the Sunshine Coast has been revealed.

The Caloundra suburb of Golden Beach was brought to a stand still after Dean Robert Richards crashed a stolen 4WD utility into a home and fled to a number of boats, which caused a protracted stand-off with officers.

Details of the manic incident were heard in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Wednesday following the 29-year-old’s pleas of guilty to 28 charges including four counts of wilful damage, three counts of entering a premises to commit an indictable offence and one of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and common assault.

Police prosecutor Bec Lambert said Richards’ madness began about 5.30am on July 1 last year after he crashed a stolen Ford 4WD into a Golden Beach home on a suspended and disqualified licence. He was also on bail.

By sheer good luck, the three residents who were at home were not injured. They instead tried to offer help to Richards.

The court heard instead of taking their assistance, Richards threatened to stab one of them as they followed him.

The aftermath of the Golden Beach house crash. Picture: Patrick Woods

His chaos continued down to the Caloundra Power Boat Club.

Police swarmed the area which led to Richards entering multiple vessels on the water and damaging them, where officers tried to negotiate with the man.

Sergeant Lambert said amid the incident, the 29-year-old doused himself with fuel and threatened to set himself on fire.

Drone footage from news outlets showed how police capsicum sprayed Richards before taking him into custody at the jetty.

The court heard paramedics had to sedate Richards to allow him to be taken to hospital.

Police negotiating with Richards. Picture: Patrick Woods

He was taken into custody that day and spent 234 days in custody until his sentence on Wednesday, where he faced court by video from the Maroochydore watch-house.

Sergeant Lambert read the Golden Beach residents’ victim impact statement which spoke about the financial loss they suffered from Richards’ crash along with his torrent of verbal threats.

He was swiftly taken into custody. Picture: Patrick Woods.

The occupants recently migrated to Australia and had personal belongings damaged in the process, however insurance was able to be claimed.

The police prosecutor said the victims hoped the Caboolture man could rehabilitate himself to become a productive member of society.

This was besides Richards’ nine pages of criminal history where he has virtually spent most of his adult life behind bars.

Defence solicitor Luke Bull told the court his client was institutionalised.

Mr Bull said Richards had been out of prison for a month before committing the siege, and attributed it to the 29-year-old’s relapse into drugs.

The Caboolture man was capsicum sprayed for his trouble. Picture: Patrick Woods

He said the 29-year-old could not remember the incident in great detail and believed there may have been some drug induced psychosis at play. Richards was remorseful, his lawyer stated.

The defence solicitor revealed Richards was in fact asking police negotiators two things during the siege on the boat, which was whether he injured anybody and if he could call his brother.

Magistrate Rod Madsen said it was “almost unbelievable” no one was hurt with the residents “only metres away” when the vehicle careened into their home.

“You’re just extremely lucky, despite all the bad things that happened,” Mr Madsen said.

Richards was jailed for 30 months, however with time served he will be released on parole on May 1.

He was also disqualified from driving for two years.