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Kevin Thomas Clarke pleads guilty to driving at cop during pursuit

Police body cam footage has revealed the horror moment a Canberra driver nearly ran down a cop during a wild police pursuit on three wheels.

Kevin Thomas Clarke leaving the ACT Supreme Court on August 28, 2023. Picture: Sam Turner
Kevin Thomas Clarke leaving the ACT Supreme Court on August 28, 2023. Picture: Sam Turner

Frightening body cam footage has revealed the moment an ACT police officer was nearly run down by a Phillip man during a high speed pursuit on three wheels.

Kevin Thomas Clarke was gunning it around Canberra in the early hours of May 7, 2022 in a Volkswagen Jetta and refused to stop for police multiple times while driving disqualified.

Police facts in the ACT Supreme Court on Monday state the Phillip man was driving when officers deployed tyre deflation devices which stuck one of his wheels.

Court documents say the pursuit continued despite one of his wheels completely falling off which left him with three.

“He’s on three wheels,” an officer can be heard saying on video.

Kevin Thomas Clarke leaving the ACT Supreme Court on August 28, 2023. Picture: Sam Turner
Kevin Thomas Clarke leaving the ACT Supreme Court on August 28, 2023. Picture: Sam Turner

During a horror moment captured on body cam footage, a police officer was seen dodging Clarke on the road after the 43-year-old drove towards him.

“He almost hit me,” the officer was heard saying.

The pursuit continued reaching speed of 160km/h, with officers seeing sparks fly from Clarke’s front tyre rim grinding on the road’s surface.

Officers followed Clarke to Kambah where the 43-year-old drove recklessly around suburban streets before he ditched his car and was arrested.

Police say the pursuit lasted 14 minutes with Clarke telling police he used meth the previous day but the amount was “bugger all”. This was later confirmed by saliva testing.

Clarke would go on to spend 235 days on remand before being granted Supreme Court bail.

Kevin Thomas Clarke leaving the ACT Supreme Court on August 28, 2023. Picture: Sam Turner
Kevin Thomas Clarke leaving the ACT Supreme Court on August 28, 2023. Picture: Sam Turner

During his sentence hearing on Monday the Phillip man said he was off the meth for good and was expecting his fourth child in November.

Clarke told the court he also had disposable income again after usually spending between $300 to $400 a week on drugs.

Defence barrister Travis Jackson told the court Clarke came from a decent childhood however a “lack of education” was seen as a contributor to his behaviour later in life.

Mr Jackson said the 43-year-old now lived a life of sobriety and had good prospects of rehabilitation.

Justice Louise Taylor adjourned Clarke’s sentence to a later date after he previously pleaded guilty to driving a motor vehicle at a police officer and aggravated furious, reckless or dangerous driving as a repeat offender.

Charges of failing to stop a motor vehicle for police, driving while disqualified and using a motor vehicle with a number plates issued for another vehicle will be taken into account.

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/canberra/kevin-thomas-clarke-pleads-guilty-to-trying-to-run-down-cop-during-pursuit/news-story/5d1b227726c8668f6cb930c1356a0b3f