Korora’s Riley Jay Amos jailed after three police cars rammed in Coffs Harbour police chase
A repeat offender on parole led Coffs police on a hectic chase through suburban streets and back country dirt lanes in a Corolla before he hit three cop cars and was pepper sprayed.
Police & Courts
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A Korora repeat offender has been jailed after leading police on a wild 22km rat-run of Coffs Harbour streets in a Toyota Corolla while on parole.
Riley Jay Amos caught the attention of police when they noticed his small sedan heading along Lyons Rd, Toormina at 1.30am on February 25 – with the headlights turned off.
A patrol vehicle activated its lights in a bid to pull him over, but Amos accelerated to 60kmh in the 50kmh speed zone and a pursuit was initiated.
Amos reached Sawtell, where he failed to give way at the Elizabeth St intersection – narrowly avoiding a collision with a marked police car.
The 33-year-old accelerated to 100kmh, double the speed limit, “driving predominantly on the incorrect side of the roadway”, police state in court documents.
Amos sped along Toormina Rd and various streets in Boambee East, before hitting the Pacific Highway – driving on the wrong side of the dual carriageway and narrowly avoiding a head-on crash with a truck.
Amos pulled into a BP service station and re-entered the M1, this time on the correct side of the highway.
A police patrol spotted the vehicle a short time later and the chase kicked off again.
Police tracked Amos’ Corolla on Archville Station Rd, Pine Creek Way and finally along a number of gravel and dirt roads at Gleniffer.
The race was almost run when Amos turned into John Locke Pl – a dead end.
He swung the vehicle down a steep driveway on a private property.
“Multiple police officers were on foot and the accused has put police at extreme risk as he sped around the grass area attempting to escape up the driveway,” the documents state.
A police car came down the driveway and the Corolla stalled – the resulting collision propelling the fugitive’s sedan backward into another cop car.
Amos tried to drive away but the Toyota struck the front of a third police vehicle and was boxed in.
He continued to try and drive free of the situation before being capsicum sprayed and cuffed.
Amos refused to provide an oral fluid drug test three times, but later provided a sample at Coffs Harbour Police Station. The test returned a positive result for methamphetamine.
Amos faced Coffs Harbour Local Court via audio visual link on Wednesday.
His lawyer Jason Hatch conceded the offending occurred while Amos was on parole.
Mr Hatch said Amos “experienced significant disadvantage” in childhood and adolescence and attended some seven different schools as his family moved between Coffs and Canberra.
Amos was kicked out of home at age 14 and began using meth at 17 – “turning to drug use as a coping mechanism”, the court heard.
Magistrate Julia Virgo spoke of Amos’ “appalling driving record”, but said there was “clearly trauma in his background that will be lifelong”.
Amos pleaded guilty to police pursuit – not stop – drive dangerously – 2nd offence, driving disqualified on a second occasion and refusing to submit to oral fluid test.
He was sentenced to two terms of 17-months jail, with a non-parole period of 10 months, and disqualified from driving for two-and-a-half years.
Amos was convicted with no further penalty for refusing the drug test.
Considering time spent in custody, Amos will be eligible for release on March 19 next year.
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