NSW drivers involved in speeding or police pursuits named and shamed
From driving more than 100 km/hr over the limit or desperately trying to evade police, here are the speed demons that fronted court to learn their fate. See the full list.
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Speed is the biggest killer on our roads.
Data from the Centre for Road Safety NSW shows speeding consistently contributes to about 41 per cent of road fatalities and 24 per cent of serious injuries each year.
This means almost 150 lives lost and 1270 people seriously injured each year.
In the five years from 2015 to 2019, 743 people were killed and 6372 were seriously injured in speed-related crashes in NSW.
Terry Goldsworthy, an associate professor of criminology at Bond University who has more than 28 years of policing experience in Australia, said a speeding driver could often be a factor behind officers initiating a chase.
But, in the heat of moment police have to make rapid-fire decisions about the best course of action.
“There are a lot of things happening in a short time period, they need to make a decision in terms of risk factors whether to continue the pursuit or cease the pursuit,” he said.
“That has to be done over a matter of seconds, at least in the initial period.
“You have to think about what the driver is doing, how fast they are going, what are the other factors of the road like how heavy is the traffic and what area you are in.”
Dr Goldsworthy said the policies that govern police pursuits varied from state to state, and explained Queensland had a “restrictive” policy compared to NSW.
If an offender in Queensland has caused serious injury or committed a serious offence, officers are justified in starting a pursuit.
However, unlike in NSW, officers cannot pursue someone for not stopping for an RBT or similar traffic offences.
“NSW is perhaps more prepared to pursue people than Queensland and you can pick that difference in their enforcement actions,” Dr Goldsworthy said.
“Two [alleged offenders] were going down the highway two weeks ago and they went all the way from Brisbane to the Gold Coast, not stopped, and they crossed the border and they were stopped within 10 minutes in NSW.”
Dr Goldsworthy encouraged drivers to be cautious if they could hear sirens, but acknowledged the difficulty for other motorists on the road.
“It’s not just the police pursuit you have to worry about, it’s the unmarked car with an offender driving erratically that you might not see coming,” he said.
Speed demons can also can be affected by substances or have been involved in police pursuits.
Here is the full list of these drivers putting lives at risk on our roads that were dealt with by the court in the last 12 months in NSW.
JAMES OXLEY: KELLYVILLE
A P-Plater was sentenced for driving more than 80 km/h over the speed limit on Windsor Rd, Kellyville, and a court heard how his lead foot could have turned deadly.
James Robert Oxley was driving his Volkswagen Golf west on the busy road when he pulled up alongside a Hyundai Tucson, driven by a 17 year old, and started racing at 142 km/h at 9.55pm.
But police were conducting checks along Windsor Rd near Fairway Drive and detected the race, and the cars driving more than 80km/h over the speed limit.
The Hyundai driver was arrested and dealt with before a children’s court.
Cops attended Oxley’s house at Schofields where he admitted to driving the vehicle and that he knew that he was travelling well in excess of the speed limit, alongside the other driver who he claimed not to know.
At the time of the race, traffic was heavier than normal and two pedestrians were present.
He pleaded guilty to organising, promoting race between vehicles and driving reckless or speed/manner dangerous.
Oxley was convicted, fined $900 and placed on an 18-month good behaviour bond.
COSTA STAVRAKAS: MONTEREY
A young apprentice plumber avoided jail time after speeding almost 200km/h during a motorcycle street race in south Sydney while on his P-plate licence.
Costa Stavrakas was convicted, fined $1600, and sentenced to an intensive corrections order to be served in the community for six months.
Agreed facts tendered to the court said Stavrakas, who lives in Monterey, was riding his black Yamaha RJ 1000cc motorcycle in Botany when he participated in a street race and accelerated to speeds of about 180km/h in a signposted 80km/h.
He pleaded guilty to driving recklessly/furiously or in a speed/manner dangerous, organising a race between vehicles, being a P1 licence holder riding a motorcycle of more than 660cc, and not displaying P-plates.
JASON FLOOD: WOLLONGONG
A Dubbo man who was disqualified from driving for more than 80 years was jailed after a high-speed police pursuit.
Jason Paul Flood was sentenced at Wollongong Local Court to 16 months behind bars for nine offences including instigating a police pursuit, and driving a motor vehicle exceeding speed by more than 45km/h.
The dangerous pursuit took place in Unanderra when police spotted Flood, who was wanted for four outstanding arrest warrants and was disqualified from riding until 2082, riding a black Suzuki GSX-R1000.
Flood ignored signals to pull over, with a pursuit starting before it was terminated after the motorcycle reached speeds of up to 160km/h in an 80km/h zone.
He was also placed on a three-year community correction order and three years were added to his driving disqualification.
ALI ELSKAF: HORNSBY
A car salesman who posted videos of his reckless speeding on social media put the lives of emergency workers in danger as he hooned along a road closed during the 2020 bushfires, a court heard.
Ali Elskaf, of Cecil Hills, was convicted at Hornsby Local Court of four counts of reckless driving, despite pleading not guilty to all these offences.
The court heard Elskaf’s first speeding offence occurred on January 4, 2020 at Beverly Hills when he was caught driving 75 km/h over the limit in a white Mercedes Benz.
The very next day, Elskaf was once nabbed 89 km/h over the speed limit on the M5 Motorway at Moorebank.
Then on March 11, Elskaf drove along the M5 motorway at Milperra “at a speed dangerous to the public” in a grey Audi SQ5.
A week later, on March 18, Elskaf drove 211 km/h in a 100 km/h zone in a silver Mercedes Benz.
For his crimes Elskaf was sentenced to a two-year jail sentence, to be served in the community by way of an intensive corrections order.
He was also disqualified from holding a driver’s licence for three years and must complete 800 hours of community service work.
On appeal, Elskaf’s intensive corrections order was reduced to 15 months and was ordered to complete 150 hours of community service work.
CHRISTOPHER ARMSTRONG: NARELLAN VALE
A father of four who was clocked by police speeding at double the limit in an 80km/h zone made a “stupid decision”, a court heard.
Christopher David Armstrong pleaded guilty to driving at a dangerous speed, upon which the prosecution withdrew a charge exceeding the speed limit by more than 45km/h.
Court documents stated police saw the Narellan Vale man driving a Blue Ford Falcon ute before turning left onto Narellan Rd from Gilchrist Dr before it accelerated harshly travelling 70 to 80km/h in a 60km/r zone.
Police caught up and positioned themselves behind the car and checked his speed which by then was 160km/h in an 80km/h zone.
Armstrong was convicted, sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order, and fined $850. He was also disqualified from driving for 12 months, backdated to begin from when he was charged with the offence.
MEHMET ERKEKASCAN: MITTAGONG
A man was sentenced after he told police he could not feel how fast he was going when he sped along a major highway at more than 210 km/hr with a passenger in his son’s Mercedes Benz.
Mehmet Oguz Erkekascan pleaded guilty to driving recklessly or in a dangerous manner near Mittagong in January, 2022.
Police were conducting checks near a dangerous section of road known as the Dipper around 6pm on January 20 when they saw the car zooming towards them, according to the facts. Police say they checked Erkekascan’s speed at 214km/hr – more than 100 km/hr over the speed limit for the road.
He was convicted of the offence, fined $1200 and barred from holding a driver’s licence for a year until January 2023.
DOMINIC HOROMONA: WYONG
A Shelly Beach bricklayer and member of the Bandidos outlaw motorcycle gang who tried to outrun police on his Harley Davidson was convicted of a police pursuit.
Dominic Horomona appeared before Wyong Local Court, supported by his friends, after pleading guilty to police pursuit – not stop, drive while disqualified and resist officer in execution of duty.
An agreed set of facts tendered to the court stated the pursuit occurred on October 2 about 6.55pm and lasted six minutes.
At one point, he reached speeds of 80km/h to 100km/h in 60 and 70 signposted streets.
Horomona was sentenced to a two year community corrections order and disqualified from driving for two years.
He also received fines totalling $2800 for driving while disqualified, using an unregistered bike, not displaying registration plates and having an uninsured motorcycle.
KURT REYNOLDS: COFFS HARBOUR
A man with a woeful traffic history “panicked” when police got on his tail north of Coffs Harbour on New Year’s Eve.
Kurt Andrew Reynolds had been on parole for just two days when a police patrol near Woolgoolga detected two motorcycles travelling at 80km/h in a 60km/h speed zone on the Pacific Highway.
A pursuit began and the bikes were then clocked at 180km/h in a 110km/h zone.
Reynolds crossed onto a grass median strip and then lost control in a concrete drain before hitting a small tree.
He broke his foot in that impact. He pleaded guilty to the five charges laid against him.
He was sentenced to 18 months’ jail with a non-parole period of 12 months for police pursuit – not stop – driving dangerously. He was also disqualified from holding a driver’s licence for three years.
On a charge of driving while disqualified, he was convicted and sentenced to nine months’ jail, and a licence disqualification of 12 months (to be served concurrently with the police pursuit sentence).
Reynolds was fined $1200 for speeding (greater than 45km/h over the posted limit) and was convicted on charges of driving unregistered and uninsured with no further penalty.
He appealed the sentence, and was granted a lower term of imprisonment of 17 months with a non-parole period of eight months.
JUSTIN CROAKER: DUBBO
A man who led police on a high speed chase through the streets of Dubbo before crashing and leaving an injured passenger in the car was labelled “selfish” by a magistrate.
Justin Croaker was disqualified when he was spotted by police on Cobbora Road and after officers activated all warning devices, he “accelerated harshly” away.
A police pursuit was initiated with Croaker reaching speeds of up to 170km/h through Myall St, Wheelers Lane and Cobbora Rd, driving on the wrong side and doing “U-turns” to evade police.
He was charged with police pursuit, driving recklessly, causing bodily harm by misconduct in charge of motor vehicle, failing to stop and assist after impact and driving motor vehicle during disqualification period.
Croaker was convicted and jailed for an aggregate sentence of two years with a non-parole period of 14 months, which will expire on June 9, 2023.
He was disqualified from driving for 12 months, and was given a two-year community corrections order for the other matters heard before the court, including contravening an AVO, which was called up from Moree Local Court from 2019.
JARRED SHORT: WOLLONGONG
A “habitual traffic offender” was jailed after three “extremely dangerous” police pursuits in 24 hours.
Jarred Short pleaded guilty to three counts of police pursuit and three counts of driving while disqualified.
The Woonona man was banned from driving until May, 2023, and had just over a month remaining on his parole for previous offending which also included a police pursuit.
In one instance, Short reached speeds along the notorious Appin Rd of “no less than” 160km/h in an 80km/h zone.
Short was able to evade two road spikes by traversing onto the shoulder of the opposite side of the road, with police terminating the pursuit once more because of the extreme danger posed.
Short was convicted and sentenced to 16 months in jail with a non-parole period of seven months. With time already served, Short was eligible for parole on December 23.
SHAUN PRIMMER: WOLLONGONG
A Mangerton man with a shocking driving record was sentenced to 22 months behind bars after evading two police pursuits before being found in a laundry in January.
Shaun Primmer, who was convicted, has a non-parole period of 16 months meaning he will be eligible for release in April 2023.
The 27-year-old was charged with possession or use of a prohibited weapon without a permit; police pursuit – not stopping – driving dangerously; driving a motor vehicle during a disqualification period; negligent driving and resisting an officer in execution of duty.
Documents revealed that there were two separate police pursuits during a 15-minute period where Primmer was seen driving into oncoming traffic, travelling 120km/h in an 80km/h zone and colliding with a silver Toyota Hiace.
LIAM WEST: TWEED HEADS
A 21-year-old Tweed Heads man got into a police chase after drinking “mid-strength middies” and tearing up the Jack Evans Boat Harbour grass area with a work van.
Liam Ky West pleaded guilty to driving recklessly in a police pursuit and mid-range drink driving in a Tweed Heads Local Court.
Police saw West “driving erratically” in the Jack Evans Boat Harbour memorial park about 1.45am on July 16 before getting back onto Coral St, court documents revealed.
Officers chased West for three blocks, the court heard, and in his “panic” West drove past the Tweed Heads Police Station and reached 80 km/h in a 50 km/h zone.
West was convicted of police pursuit – not stop – drive recklessly, and had his licence disqualified for 12 months. He was sentenced to a two-year community corrections order requiring 50 hours of community service.
West was convicted on the charge of driving with middle range PCA and ordered to pay a $750 fine, and hold an interlock driver’s licence for the minimum period.
COREY HONEY: BLUE MOUNTAINS
A Blue Mountains labourer led police on a high-speed pursuit while he had drugs in his system and had been caught driving suspended the day before, a court heard.
Corey Honey was first charged with driving while suspended under the Fines Act in Blackheath.
Late the following night he was charged with driving suspended again, starting a high speed police pursuit, and driving with methamphetamine in his system in Katoomba.
At one point, police estimated Honey to be travelling 110km/hr in an 80 zone, before reaching an estimated speed of 130km/hr.
Honey was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order and a 12-month driving disqualification for the police pursuit.
He was further convicted and sentenced to a six-month conditional release order for drug driving, along with a six-month disqualification.
For driving while suspended he was convicted and sentenced to a six-month conditional release order and a one-month disqualification.
DAVID BLAKER: WOLLONGONG
Emotion erupted in a Sydney courtroom when a Wollongong mechanic who left two young people severely injured in a drag race gone wrong was jailed.
David Blaker pleaded guilty to two counts of dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm after a horrific two-car crash on Tom Ugly’s Bridge in Blakehurst on May 21 last year.
The court heard Blaker, and two others, were all stopped at the lights in different vehicles heading towards Sylvania when they accelerated sharply at the green light.
Blaker reached speeds of 115km/h in the 70km/h zone before losing control on a bend, hitting the median strip and going airborne into a car travelling in the opposite direction.
The man and woman inside – both 20 – were left severely injured and both required surgery for perforated bowels while the male also had spinal fractures.
Blaker himself suffered a traumatic brain injury and was also hospitalised for several days.
He was convicted and sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.
Blaker appealed and his sentence was varied to 18 months imprisonment of with a non-parole period of 10 months.
JAMES BAKER: SUTHERLAND
A P1 driver was clocked travelling 90km/h over the speed limit in Bexley with four drunk passengers in a car.
James Sydney Baker was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court after he pleaded guilty to driving recklessly or furiously in a dangerous speed or manner.
Agreed facts tendered to court said Baker, who lives in Chipping Norton, was driving a white Audi A4 on the M5 through Bexley with two 18 year olds and two other 19 year olds on July 24 about 9.30pm.
Police saw the car and estimated Baker was travelling at 150km/h while overtaking a light amount of traffic.
An officer used a LIDAR speed detector and clocked Baker going 166km/h in a signposted 80 zone.
Baker was convicted, disqualified from driving for two years backdated to the offence and fined $1500.
JORDAN WHITELOCK: TWEED HEADS
A Tweed Heads man with a “depressing” history of stealing was on conditional liberty when he decided to traipse into a home and steal car keys for a high speed joy ride, a court heard.
Jordan Whitelock entered the open home of a Kingscliff resident, went inside and stole a set of car keys, before he and a co-accused then took the home’s AMG Mercedes and drove away.
Whitelock drove through the Cudgen tunnel at self-confessed speeds of 200km/h before crashing into another car at about 4am.
He was sentenced to an aggregate term of imprisonment of 18 months, backdated to May 20 with a non-parole period of 14 months.
For the charges of being carried in a conveyance without the owner’s consent and attempting to steal a motor vehicle, Whitelock was placed under a community corrections order for two years, expiring on July 18, 2024.
For the unlicensed driving and not providing details after being involved in a motor vehicle accident he was convicted but not further punished.
KYLE RICHARDSON: CENTRAL COAST
A suspended P-plater was sentenced after a horror smash on the M1 motorway which left his girlfriend and only passenger with broken thigh bones, shattered ankles and other fractures.
Kyle Richardson was just 18 when he was seen overtaking other motorists “driving like a race car” on the M1 travelling an estimated 160km/h in a 90km/h zone before crashing into a rock wall shortly before 10am on May 4, 2020.
Richardson’s then 18-year-old girlfriend was trapped in the wreckage of the blue Volkswagen hatchback before being taken to Royal North Shore Hospital with shattered ankles and mid-shaft femur fractures in both legs, which required the insertion of metal rods, and other fractures.
Richardson pleaded guilty to aggravated dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and driving while disqualified.
He was sentenced to two years and seven months jail with a non-parole period of one year and three months.
JAMIE APPS: SUTHERLAND
An unemployed man was banned from driving for two years after he led police on a high-speed chase through a quiet suburb in Sydney’s south.
Jamie Apps pleaded guilty to driving and drug offences after he reached speeds of almost three times the signposted limit on residential streets in Kurnell before he resisted arrest.
Court documents revealed he drove in the middle of the road at no less than 140km/h in a 50km/h zone before he crossed onto the wrong side of the road on a blind corner to overtake a car.
Apps was sentenced to an intensive corrections order for six months, disqualified from driving for two years, fined $1400 and must continue his treatment with a psychologist.
COBY REINHARD: ST GEORGE
A teenager told his mum police “were chasing me” after he led them on a dangerous pursuit through residential streets in Sydney’s south.
Coby Reinhard, 19, of Kurnell, was sentenced on a charge of police pursuit, not stop, driving dangerously at Sutherland Local Court.
According to facts tendered to the court, police followed Reinhard in an attempt to conduct a random breath test but quickly lost sight of his car.
He was spotted near Bando Road in “wet and dark” conditions, where he went around a roundabout and drove the wrong way down a one-way street, disobeying a no-entry sign.
Police activated lights and sirens, but Reinhard didn’t stop and a pursuit was started. The facts state Reinhard reached speeds of 80km/h in 50km/h zones, and the pursuit was stopped for safety reasons on Kurnell Road where police once again lost sight of his car.
He was later arrested at his house.
Reinhard was convicted and placed on a conditional release order and disqualified from driving for 12 months.
He was found guilty but not convicted on a charge of disobeying no entry sign.
Pair busted after alleged pursuit followed by crash
A 33-year-old Kempsey man and a 25-year-old Kempsey woman remain in custody on remand after being charged with alleged property and driving offences following pursuit and crash on the Mid-North Coast.
Pair in court after dog killed in alleged police pursuit through paddock
A man remains locked up and a woman has been released on bail following an alleged police pursuit through a Northern NSW paddock which resulted in the death of a dog.