Craig Euston Cowan: Lismore man to face sentence over police chases

The Lismore man was responsible for four separate police chases including one where he attempted to drive at police to avoid arrest.

A Lismore man who was responsible for four dangerous police chases, including one where he drove at officers to avoid arrest, will soon face sentence.

Craig Euston Cowan, 31, faced Lismore District Court on Monday (September 12) for arraignment, pleading guilty to six charges involving motor-vehicle related pursuits from March to July last year across Lismore, Tabulam and Tatham.

These included four counts of instigating a dangerous police pursuit, one count of using an offensive weapon, namely a motor-vehicle, to avoid arrest, and one count of stalking/intimidation.

At the time, Cowan was disqualified from driving a car until December 2024, agreed facts state.

Cowan’s first police chase began in the early hours of March 21 when he and his partner got into an argument at the McDonald’s drive-through.

As his girlfriend left the car, Cowan reversed and hit her, according to agreed court facts and CCTV footage.

The accused then drove past police on Brewster Street, and officers initiated a chase after Cowan failed to stop and at times reached 100kph in a 50 zone.

Agreed facts state Cowan then turned his lights off on Wyrallah Road, reaching speeds of 80kph in a 50 zone and driving onto the incorrect side of the road, agreed facts state.

Police deployed road spikes near a Bruxner Highway intersection but Cowan drove on the incorrect side to avoid them.

He then reached a wet Coraki Road where he damaged his car by driving into a large puddle of water, agreed facts state.

However, Cowan avoided arrest by running away before police could stop him.

The ingredients to the second chase started forming when the keys to a white Suzuki were stolen from a West Street, Casino address.

Police sighted Cowan driving the stolen car on July 2 in Goonellabah, agreed facts state.

They attempted a pursuit but Cowan reached speeds of 100kph in a 50 zone on Jubilee Street, and the chase was terminated.

Five days later another car and its contents including an iPhone and $300 cash were stolen from a man who was watching the sunrise at the Pat Morton Lookout near Ballina on July 7, agreed facts state.

The victim of the theft used the Find My Phone app to inform police the car was in Coraki.

Patrolling police passed the stolen car driven by Cowan and began a chase in Tatham where the vehicle reached speeds of 150kph while overtaking other cars, agreed facts state.

Cowan overtook a number of vehicles as the chase reached South Lismore and police had to terminate it near the Lismore Airport, the facts state.

Craig Euston Cowan, 31, faced Lismore District Court on Monday for arraignment, pleading guilty to six charges involving motor-vehicle related pursuits from March to July last year across Lismore, Tabulam and Tatham.

However Cowan’s near misses with police would come to a head on July 9 where he was spotted at Tabulam by police.

As police blocked the exit of the unit complex, Cowan and a co-accused drove towards police who yelled at him to stop, the agreed facts state.

The car driven by Cowan narrowly missed a patrol car before another chase was initiated.

The pursuit continued to Casino where Cowan veered onto the incorrect side of the road and was travelling at 50kph over the limit, agreed facts state.

Police set up road spikes west of Piora Lane but Cowan drove around them before police successfully hit the car with spikes, damaging the front tyre.

Cowan continued to drive but the tyre became loose and rolled off the rim, agreed facts state.

With three tyres left, Cowan drove at speeds of 9o to 100kph, overtaking a number of vehicles as he approached Casino, agreed facts state.

Police set up another set of spikes at Back Gully Bridge, where Cowan ruptured the three remaining tyres.

He continued onto Hare St on the incorrect side of the road where he slightly lost control at the Centre Street roundabout and police stopped the chase, agreed facts state.

However, due to the flat tyres the car stopped soon after and Cowan’s vehicle mounted a kerb.

He then ran north before being arrested near the Centre Street bridge.

Cowan also threatened his ex-partner over a visit to a family member, the agreed facts state.

The court heard Cowan’s solicitor Kate Brady would seek a psychologist assessment before sentence.

Judge Jeffery McLennan adjourned the sentence to November 25.

Cowan will remain in custody until that date.

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