Andrew Heremia Roberts: Sentenced for Woombah Woods Caravan park assault, Pacific Highway police chase

After threatening the ground manager of a caravan park with a machete, a former construction worker led police on a wild chase, reaching speeds of up to 190km/h. See how he was finally stopped near Coffs Harbour.

Andrew Heremia Roberts pleaded guilty to a string of charges including common assault, intimidation, being armed with the intention of committing an indictable offence, driving more than 45km/h above the speed limit, two counts of police pursuit and refusing to undertake an oral fluid test.

After threatening the ground manager of a caravan park with a machete, a former construction worker led police on a wild chase, reaching speeds of up to 190km/h on the Pacific Motorway.

Andrew Heremia Roberts, 48, of no fixed address, appeared via audio visual link at Grafton Local Court to learn his fate.

He had previously pleaded guilty to a string of charges including common assault, intimidation, being armed with the intention of committing an indictable offence, driving more than 45km/h above the speed limit, two counts of police pursuit and refusing to undertake an oral fluid test.

Documents tendered to court detail how Roberts confrontation with a ground manager of the Woombah Woods caravan park, near Iluka, led to a wild police pursuit through northern NSW on September 19.

The court heard at the time of the offences Roberts was travelling from the Gold Coast to Sydney, where his family lived and where he had hoped to find work again in construction.

Police recovered a large machete from Roberts’ car.

According to court documents, around 10am the ground manager at Woombah approached Roberts’ car as he had not registered to stay at the caravan park.

“The (ground manager) walked up to the front door of the vehicle and said, ‘Mate, can I help you’ … (and Roberts) replied, ‘Who the f--k are you? Do you own the place’,” police facts state.

The site of Woombah Woods Caravan Park.

The court heard Roberts then opened the driver’s door “with force”, hitting the ground manager, before getting out of the vehicle and pushing him in the chest three times.

According to court documents, Roberts yelled, “F--k off, get out of my way” as he returned to his car, revved the engine and twice drove towards the manager.

“(Roberts then) got out of the vehicle holding a machete,” court documents state.

“When he reached a point about five metres away from the victim, (Roberts) held the machete in front of him with two hands … (and) yelled, ‘F--k off, get out of my way’.”

By the time police arrived Roberts was on his way south on the Pacific Motorway.

Officers spotted him at 10.55am driving at 165 km/h near just Corindi Beach, north of Coffs Harbour.

The police pursuit began near Corindi Beach. Picture: Google Maps.

Andrew Roberts was eventually stopped in Raleigh. Picture: Google Maps.

A pursuit was initiated, reaching speeds of up to 190 km/h, the court heard.

Roberts drove through the central business district of Coffs and continued south “weaving his way through heavy traffic” and at times “straddling the lane dividing lane one and lane two”, the court heard.

He was finally stopped by road spikes at Raleigh.

He was arrested and taken to Coffs police station, while officers found a large machete in his car.

“(Roberts then) asked the testing officer if he was involved in the pursuit … (and) said, ‘You can’t drive for sh-t, I’ll show you how to drive’,” police facts state.

In court, Roberts’ defence lawyer said her client “wasn’t thinking straight” at the time of the offending and was acting out of desperation — both for money he needed for fuel and his desire to return to Bexley, Sydney, where he had planned to move back in with his family and “get his life back on track”.

“Due to the stress and lack of sleep he wasn’t thinking straight … he never intended to hurt anybody, he was acting out of desperation,” the court heard.

But Magistrate Juliana Crofts said Roberts had committed “a very serious set of offences”.

“These offences show a complete and utter disregard for the protection of the community,” Ms Crofts said.

Roberts was convicted of all offences and sentenced to 22 months behind bars with a non-parole period of 13 months.

He was also disqualified from holding a driver’s licence for three years and fined $500.