Shaquille Matthew Lang Sines Manton, passenger in stolen Jeep, absent for court verdict

The Ballina man was a passenger in a car that had been stolen from Wollongbar and then rammed a police car near a McDonalds drive-thru, the court heard.

A police car was seriously damaged after it was rammed in a car containing Sines Manton on the Pacific Highway on April 29, 2021.

A passenger in a stolen Jeep which allegedly rammed into a police car, barely missing a police officer, has been convicted for his involvement in the incident.

Shaquille Matthew Lang Sines Manton was absent during his Ballina Local Court sentence on Thursday, June 17.

He was charged with being carried in a conveyance taken without consent of the owner and goods in custody suspected to be stolen.

He had previously pleaded guilty to both charges.

According to court documents, Sines Manton was the passenger in the back of a Jeep Cherokee, reported stolen from Wollongbar, on April 29.

At 12.05pm the car entered the McDonalds drive-thru at the Chinderah BP service station.

At this time, plain clothes police in an unmarked car saw the Jeep make its way through the drive-thru and park across the exit.

An officer got out of his car and went up to the Jeep and held his police ID as he approached.

Police allege the driver looked at the officer and immediately accelerated harshly, forcing the officer to take evasive action not to be struck.

It is alleged the driver collided into the front off-side of the unmarked car and into another member of the public, who was stopped in the drive-thru.

Police allege the driver continued towards the bowsers and drove straight into a marked police car headed to the location.

The Jeep came to a stop at the western edge of the service station where the driver allegedly exited and ran off.

His co-accused Levi Hoiland was sentenced to eight months imprisonment with three months non-parole, backdated to April 30, at Tweeds Heads Local Court on June 18.

Another co-accused Monique Lee Waters, 24, is yet to enter pleas to seven offences, including being carried in a conveyance taken without consent of the owner, possess prohibited drug, custody of a knife in a public place, goods in custody and three outstanding warrants.

Given Sines Manton did not make the court appearance, Magistrate Karen Stafford heard and determined the case in his absence and Sines Manton was convicted in absence for both charges.

A Section 25 warrant, to bring Sines Manton to court for sentence, was also issued.