Redcliffe tradie takes speeds through six suburbs in a stolen car while trying to avoid police
Police have revealed, in court, the full details of a 22-year-old tradie’s 200km/hr joy ride in a stolen car from Redcliffe to Bracken Ridge including how he flagged down and jumped in a passing car.
Moreton
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A 22-year-old Redcliffe man has been jailed after taking a stolen car on a high-speed joy ride, reaching up to 200km/hr while evading police.
Torren Chevy James appeared via video link in Redcliffe Magistrates Court today and pleaded guilty to 13 charges including stealing, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, evading police and obstructing police.
Between December 22, 2019 and June 6, 2020 James, a father of one, committed a number of offences.
The most serious occurred on June 6.
Court documents detailed how police spotted James driving a black commodore station wagon, which had been stolen from his ex-partner on May 30, dangerously along Oxley Ave, Redcliffe at about 12.05am.
Polair was deployed to track the defendant who was recorded doing 80km/hr along Klingner Rd before making a right turn onto the wrong side of the road at Oxley Ave.
James then accelerated reaching between 130 and 140km/h along Oxley Ave, as he headed toward Anzac Ave.
By the time he reached Oxley Ave he was recorded at 200km/h – he reduced his speed to 180km as he reached Duffield Rd at Clontarf.
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Polair recorded the defendant driving at a high speed over the Ted Smout Bridge, through Sandgate, Bracken Ridge, Brendale and Eatons Hill.
James then parked the stolen car in an underground carpark at Eatons Hill and fled on foot.
At about 12.30am James flagged down a passing car on South Pine Rd.
He hopped into the passenger side of the car.
Police pulled alongside the car and James jumped out the passenger door while the car was moving.
He then fled again into bushland at South Pine Road.
The dog squad was called on and James was found a short time later in bushland at Cash’s Crossing at Eatons Hill.
He was arrested and taken to Pine Rivers Watch House – where James was charged with these offences and others he had been linked to via fingerprints and CCTV.
James was also charged with stealing $40 worth of groceries from a supermarket on December 22, 2019, breaking in to the Riding for Disabled facility at Redcliffe Showgrounds and stealing a laptop and first aid kit on April 18, 2020, stealing a $20,000 paving machine from the Redcliffe Golf Club on May 20 and stealing a green Subaru Forrester from the Citipointe Church carpark at Clontarf on June 2. The car was later found at Talobilla Park, Kippa-Ring.
James was also charged with multiple driving without a licence offences.
Magistrate Mark Bucknall said James, despite being 22, had a lengthy criminal history. He noted that James was also on parole at the time he committed these offences.
James was sentenced to a total of two years in jail.
He will be eligible for parole on April 14, 2021.