Albion Park: Man charged with murder allegedly assaults police in custody

A man charged over the murder of a man south of Wollongong following a dramatic car chase allegedly assaulted two police officers while in custody this morning.

Lacey Fullwood was one of two people arrested at McDonalds Lisarow. Picture: Top Notch Video

• Police on the hunt for several people following pursuit
• Pair arrested at McDonald’s over Albion shooting, fatal crash

A man charged over the murder of a man south of Wollongong following a dramatic car chase allegedly assaulted two police officers while in custody this morning.

Andrew Douglas Russell, 34, of Bellambi, did not apply for bail and declined to be brought into the dock this morning when his matter was briefly mentioned at Gosford Local Court.

Mr Russell was arrested at Lisarow McDonalds yesterday and charged with murdering Daniel Merrett in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Police allege Mr Russell was in a silver Toyota Corolla, which was chasing a Ford Territory when the SUV ploughed into a petrol tanker turning onto the Princes Highway at Albion Park Rail about 2.20am on Saturday.

Andrew Russell, aged 34.

Daniel Merrett, also known as Daniel Clulow, 27.

Mr Merrett, 27, who was also known by the name Daniel Clulow, was flung through the windscreen and died at the scene.

The Territory driver, a woman, 25, was flown to St George Hospital where she remains in a stable condition.

Two other passengers, a man and woman, both aged 25, were hospitalised and are now also in a stable condition.

Police allege shots were fired from the Corolla at the Territory during the pursuit, which allegedly reached speeds of up to 160km/h.

Daniel Clulow was killed in a high-speed crash.

The Express Advocate understands someone within the Territory also called Triple 0 during the chase, with the operator hearing a loud bang.

Officers from Lake Illawarra Police District established Strike Force Warrane to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Yesterday Brisbane Water police arrested Mr Russell and Lacey Fullwood, 25, of Warilla, at McDonalds.

Lacey Fullwood was arrested at McDonalds. Picture: Top Notch Video

He was charged with murder and the armed robbery of a another man at a property on Wegit Way, Warrawong, shortly before the car chase and in the company with two others.

Charge sheets tendered to court also allege Mr Russell assaulted two constables at Gosford Police Station about 8.30am this morning.

Ms Fullwood was charged with breaching intensive corrections orders (ICOs) for shoplifting and aggravated robbery after she failed to appear at the Downing Centre Local Court in February and was convicted in her absence.

However her Legal Aid solicitor told the court Ms Fullwood’s ICO for shoplifting had expired and she applied for conditional bail.

The court heard she had committed “no further offending” since she was charged in January for aggravated robbery and there was no suggestion she was in the Corolla during the alleged chase.

Darren Butler, aged 27,

and Holly Green, 25 are still wanted.

Her solicitor said “in her words, she went on the run” after a friend committed suicide four days before her court appearance in February and that was why she failed to appear.

She was granted bail to live with her sister at Warilla, report daily to Wollongong police and not take drugs or alcohol.

Ms Fullwood has been adjourned to Wollongong Local Court on June 5 while Mr Russell was adjourned to the same court on July 17.

Police are still on the hunt for two other people — Darren Butler, 27, and Holly Green, 25 — alleged to have been in the Corolla during the chase and present during the earlier armed robbery.