Corey Honey sentenced for Katoomba police pursuit

A Blue Mountains teen led police on a high speed pursuit with drugs in his system, stole petrol and failed to pay a taxi driver during a months-long string of offending, a court has heard.

Corey Honey, 19, at Katoomba Local Court on October 24 2022.

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 has heard.

Corey Honey, 19, was first charged with driving while suspended under the Fines Act in Blackheath on May 4 this year.

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.

Agreed police facts reveal officers recognised Honey’s blue Mitsubishi Lancer outside The Alex Hotel in Leura after they had pulled him over the day before for driving while suspended under the Fines Act.

“Police moved off after the sedan to stop it for a breath test,” police state.

“The sedan accelerated above the posted speed limit of 80km/h past two other motor vehicles, travelling west (and) police estimated the speed to be 110km/h.”

Honey then accelerated again, moving between traffic by changing lanes without indicating.

“Police activated all warning devices upon the police vehicle to stop the sedan,” police state.

“The sedan has accelerated away from police (and) police estimate the speed to be 130km/h.”

At Katoomba Local Court, Honey’s solicitor conceded the pursuit continued for 30 to 40 seconds and he was aware of police before he finally stopped on the Great Western Hwy.

A subsequent roadside drug test returned a positive reading for methamphetamine in Honey’s saliva and a vehicle search uncovered a 51cm machete, which Honey told police was for “gardening”.

He was then further charged with having custody of a knife in a public place.

Corey Honey, 19, at Katoomba Local Court on October 24 2022.

Weeks earlier Honey had been charged with dishonestly obtaining property by deception after stealing petrol from a Katoomba petrol station, and in August he was charged again with dishonestly obtaining a financial advantage after failing to pay a $90 taxi fare.

Court documents reveal Honey later freely admitted to police he had left EG Fuel in Katoomba without paying for $50 of petrol, and that he had alighted from the taxi at a Mt Victoria address and made no attempts to pay the $90 fare.

Honey pleaded guilty to all offences at Katoomba Local Court, where he appeared before Magistrate Leanne Robinson for sentence.

“It will be a difficult period after abstaining from drugs, I hope you’re able to get some assistance very quickly,” Ms Robinson said to Honey.

“The pursuit and your manner of driving are concerning for community safety, and your driving record is pretty poor.”

Ms Robinson warned Honey he would be off the road for a significant period due to the pursuit.

“You need to respect when you’re driving that it’s a privilege,” Ms Robinson said.

“When you need your licence it’s up to you to keep that licence by being a safe driver.”

Honey was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order and a 12-month driving disqualification for the police pursuit.

For possessing the machete he was convicted and fined $100.

Honey 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.

Honey was sentenced to a six-month conditional release order without conviction for both dishonesty offences in respect of the petrol and the taxi fare and ordered to repay the service station and the taxi driver.