Clarence Valley’s dodgy drivers named and shamed

From getting caught driving while disqualified until 2054 to dangerous police pursuits here are some of the worst drivers to appear in Grafton court

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DESPITE the warnings from police and road safety authorities, and the regional road death toll, there are still drivers who lead police on pursuits, drive while disqualified and commit other dangerous acts on our roads.

Here are ten offenders who have been convicted and sentenced for driving offences on our roads in Grafton and Maclean Local Court in the past 18 months.

NO LAUGHING MATTER: Pursuit lands nang chucker in jail

A 36-YEAR-old woman who threw nitrous oxide bulbs at police during a 100km pursuit, was been sent to jail last year.

Mischa Rose, from Brisbane, fronted Grafton Local Court for sentencing after pleading guilty to several driving charges, including police pursuit, driving in a dangerous manner, driving under the influence of drugs, as well as drug possession and throwing objects likely to cause damage and recklessly damaging property.

The court heard that on December 20, 2018, Rose had led police on a 100km chase from Bangalow that ended on road spikes on the Pacific Highway near Ulmarra.

Rose was sentenced to 18 months’ jail with a non-parole period of four months for the police pursuit and disqualified her from driving for three years. On the dangerous driving and drive under the influence charges she was sentenced to seven months jail, with three months non-parole.

She was also given 12 months jail for the damage to the police vehicle, again with a four month non-parole period.

Driver banned until 2054 caught behind wheel again

BANNED from driving until 2054, and on bail with strict conditions to not be behind the wheel, Shane Anthony Connelly again found himself on the wrong side of the law last year when police busted him driving when he suddenly pulled out in front of them on Yamba Rd.

Facing Grafton Local Court on Tuesday, the 48-year-old Townsend man was sentenced on two charges of driving a motor vehicle while disqualified, as well as a charge of possessing a prohibited drug.

According to police facts, Connelly has been declared a habitual offender for continually refusing to comply with court orders to stay off the road, and has been disqualified from driving for the next 35 years.

Driver banned until 2053 caught getting cash to buy car

BUYING a car should have been the last thing on the mind of a South Grafton man disqualified from driving until 2053.

However a trip to the bank, behind the wheel of the car he was planning to purchase, ended in him fleeing from police and a prison sentence.

Scott Robert Harding, 48, appeared in Grafton Local Court in 2019 after pleading guilty to take and drive conveyance without consent of owner, and a raft of driving offences, including drive in a manner dangerous, not obey directions of police and driving while disqualified.

According to police, on October 29 Harding made inquiries about a vehicle displaying a for sale sign.

After some haggling he asked the owner if he could borrow the car to drive to the bank to withdraw money.

While driving to the bank, police patrolling the area saw Harding disobey a no entry sign and turn north onto Bent St.

They recognised the driver as being disqualified from driving since 1998.

Harding was convicted and sentenced to 12 months behind bars, with a non-parole period of four months.

Man jailed despite sticking to speed limit

LEADING police on a slow speed chase on and off the streets of Yamba put a 28-year-old father of five in jail.

In Grafton Local Court yesterday Martin Bernard Collins was sentenced to 16 months’ jail for a period of mayhem in Yamba St on March 9, 2019.

The court heard police attempted to stop Collins, who was on parole at the time, for a breath test in Wooli St on March 9, but he panicked and refused to stop.

Although pursued, Collins’s black Ford Territory did not resort to high speed for much of the chase.

Pursuing police reported he stayed within a 20-40km/h speed range as he negotiated streets and roundabouts.

Collins was convicted with failing to stop, police pursuit and exceeding the speed limit by 30km/h and was sentenced to a non-parole period of eight months, beginning from March 9. He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Jail for high-speed chase accused

AN ILUKA man who led police on a high-speed chase along the Pacific Highway has been sentenced to jail.

Joshua Brian Page, 34, appeared in Grafton Local Court last year on charges of police pursuit, driving while disqualified, driving while under the influence of drugs and resisting arrest.

Magistrate Karen Stafford said the police facts indicated Page hit speeds up to 160km/h as he led police on a chase for more than 35km along the Pacific Highway, overtaking cars and B-double trucks that had pulled over to avoid a collision.

Ms Stafford sentenced Page, who pleaded guilty to all charges, to three and a half years jail backdated to the date of the offence, February 8, with a non-parole period of two years.

Police slam driver involved in ‘potentially catastrophic’ pursuit

A MACLEAN man charged over a high-speed pursuit police described as having “the potential for catastrophic consequences” will spend at least seven months behind bars.

Douglas Darcy Pearce, 27, appeared in Grafton Local Court last year and was convicted of a number of driving charges, including police pursuit, driving while disqualified and drive recklessly/furiously at speed/manner dangerous.

According to police facts, Pearce, who was disqualified from driving until May 2024 and on conditional bail at the time, was spotted by police driving in Maclean on February 18 this year.

Police checks revealed the plates on the vehicle Pearce was driving didn’t match the vehicle and they attempted to stop Pearce, who accelerated harshly onto Wharf St at an estimated 90km/h in a 50km/h zone.

The vehicle turned right onto Bent St and lost traction on the roadway, and the back of the car hit the gutter but continued onto Bent St before driving across a nature strip.

The pursuit continued, as Pearce overtook a number of vehicles over double unbroken lines on Jubilee St and proceeded to speed through roadworks at speeds of 100km/h before pulling into a property, where he was arrested.

Magistrate Kathy Crittenden sentenced Pearce to 14 months behind bars, with a non-parole period of seven months. He was placed on an 18-month community corrections order and disqualified from driving for 18 months.

39 second pursuit lands man in prison

IN LESS than one minute, a man’s plan to relax by the river was ruined when he engaged in a reckless pursuit.

Christopher Burchell, 32, was sentenced in Grafton Local Court last year to 11 months’ imprisonment last year after he was found guilty of charges of police pursuit and drive in manner dangerous and guilty to a charge of driving an unregistered, uninsured vehicle.

The court heard Burchell was driving south on Yamba Rd at 6.17pm when a passing police officer ran the licence plate to discover it was unregistered.

The officer turned on sirens and lights and followed the car along Yamba Rd.

The police officer, Senior Constable Ashley Higgins, gave evidence in court that Burchell was going what he estimated to be 130km/h in a 90km/h zone before turning left onto Palmers Channel North Bank Rd without indicating.

Senior Constable Higgins told the court he rounded the corner and continued to pursue Burchell for about 39 seconds.

He said Burchell was speeding along the narrow road so quickly he crossed to the right side of the road as he took a bend before he pulled over.

Burchell was convicted and sentenced to 11 months in custody with a seven-month non-parole period and disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Man in ‘reckless’ high-speed chases through Grafton

A SOUTH Grafton man who stole a friend’s ute in Raymond Terrace and drove to Grafton in order to comply with court orders, before leading police on a series of “immensely dangerous and reckless” pursuits, was sentenced in Grafton Local Court earlier this year.

Jake Robert Luscombe, 24, was convicted of police pursuit, drive recklessly in manner dangerous, possess prohibited weapon, posses prohibited drug, take and drive conveyance without consent of owner and two counts of resist officer in execution of duty.

According to police facts, on December 13 at 8am Luscombe was staying with a friend at Raymond Terrace and travelled together to a nearby golf club. When the friend went to a meeting, Luscombe took the keys to the black Toyota HiLux without permission and drove away.

The victim reported the vehicle stolen and nominated Luscombe as a suspect.

The next day at 1.20pm Luscombe visited his mother and asked for petrol money, however she refused. Noticing the vehicle, she contacted police after Luscombe left the South Grafton property.

At 3.30pm police were contacted after the vehicle and Luscombe were spotted near Hungry Jacks, and at 4.37pm police spotted the vehicle at Corcoran Park.

Police attempted to stop the vehicle as it travelled south on Villiers St, however Luscombe sped off at more than 100km/h in a 50km/h zone and a pursuit was initiated.

Luscombe hit speeds of 120km/h and was driving erratically, at times on the wrong side of the road, when police disengaged the pursuit. Luscombe continued through the Villiers and Pound streets roundabouts towards the recently completed new Grafton bridge where he undertook several vehicles before mounting a concrete divider and went onto the wrong side of the road.

Luscombe was sentenced to 12 months behind bars, with a non-parole period of seven months. He was also disqualified from driving for two years.

Magistrate slams driver over burnout near packed caravan park

A MAGISTRATE has slammed a Brooms Head man for performing multiple burnouts near a packed caravan park during the summer school holidays.

Hank Williams appeared in Grafton Local Court was convicted of driving recklessly in a manner dangerous, performing a prolonged, sustained loss of traction and two charges of drive while disqualified earlier this year.

During the sentence hearing, magistrate Kathy Crittenden told the court the police facts stated that on January 22 this year, near a packed Brooms Head Caravan Park during the summer holidays, Williams was driving his mother’s car around 7pm when he caused the vehicle to lose traction and performed a number of burnouts before continuing along Ocean Rd at a speed the police facts state was greater than the posted 50km/h speed limit.

A concerned tourist staying at the caravan park filmed the burnout and called police to report the incident.

Ms Crittenden sentenced Williams to a nine month intensive corrections order, as well as 80 hours community service. He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Man spared jail sentence for pursuit through Grafton

A SYDNEY man who led police on a pursuit through Grafton, resisting officers during his arrest, with two warrants out for his arrest after failing to appear in court was spared jail time when he was sentenced earlier this year.

Daniel Dominic O’Neill, 23, appeared in Grafton Local Court earlier this year via audiovisual link and convicted of a host of driving charges, including police pursuit – not stop – drive dangerously, drive while disqualified and mid-range drink driving, as well as resist officer in execution of duty.

According to police facts tendered in court, at 6.50pm on January 24 this year, O’Neill was behind the wheel of a red Mitsubishi Triton on Turf St when police did a registration check on the vehicle, which revealed the registration had been cancelled.

After following the ute for some time police signalled for the vehicle to stop at the Fitzroy and Duke streets roundabout.

O’Neill continued through the roundabout but signalled to police he intended to pull over near the KFC restaurant. However, without warning, O’Neill turned harshly across unbroken lines towards the store, and police began a pursuit.

Continuing at speed over a raised grass median strip, O’Neill fled along Clarence St towards the Clarence River before coming to an abrupt stop at the Victoria St intersection and ran from the vehicle.

After being bail refused since his January arrest, in Grafton Local Court on Monday, magistrate Annette Sinclair sentenced O’Neill to an eight-month intensive corrections order and a 12-month community corrections order, and disqualified from driving for 18 months.

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