Luca Vecchiet: South Lismore police chase lands Dunoon man in court

A North Coast man has landed himself in court after eight hours of drinking led to a wild police pursuit on a trail bike.

A man who drank eight scotch and cokes before sending police on a wild chase on a trail bike through South Lismore has learned his fate.

Luca Vecchiet fled police in South Lismore on a trail bike after eight hours of drinking on February 19.

Vecchiet, 29, pleaded guilty to low range drink-driving at Ballina Local Court on Monday after a police pursuit on an unlicensed, uninsured KTM off-road trail bike.

Agreed police facts tendered to the court reveal that at about 7.20pm on February 19 Vecchiet had a few drinks at a friend’s place before travelling to another location.

Police began a pursuit for Vecchiet after they noticed his bike was unregistered, before the man sped down Ballina Rd and “accelerated harshly” over a bridge.

Court documents state Vecchiet was observed by police to be swerving in and out of lanes and across the wrong side of the road at speeds of around 100km/h in a 50km/h zone.

The 29-year old turned into Airport Drive, a dead-end street in South Lismore, before falling off his motorcycle as he tried to come to a stop.

As police handcuffed him and placed him under arrest, Vecchiet stated he had fled because he panicked.

He admitted to owning the unregistered KTM trail bike and after a breath test he clocked up a reading of 0.076, telling officers he had consumed eight scotch and cokes and no food between 11am and 7pm that day.

The Dunoon man had his driving history described as “not assisting him” by his solicitor at Ballina Local Court.

He had previously been fined $600 in 2019 for mid-range drink driving and had his licence suspended for two months.

Ballina magistrate Jeff Linden said it was “clear from the facts” that the police wanted Vecchiet to stop but he continued to proceed “in excess speeds”.

Vecchiet’s solicitor said he had shown remorse for his actions and “made some insights in talking about the impact this could have had on others”.

Mr Linden convicted Vecchiet and sentenced him to an 18-month community corrections order for the police pursuit and disqualified him from driving for 12 months.

He was also convicted and fined $250 for the low range drink driving, with a disqualification for three months and an interlock order for 12 months.

For driving an unregistered trail bike, driving an uninsured trail bike and driving the trail bike without ever holding a relevant licence, Vecchiet was convicted with no further punishment imposed.