Dylan Anthony Hipkins: ‘Stupid’ suspended L-plater pleads guilty to police pursuit, burnouts in unregistered, uninsured cars

A self-confessed “stupid” Learner who did burnouts before leading police on a brief pursuit was picked up a month later after pranging a car with no brakes in front of officers.

Sporting a dark mullet, grey suit and Nike sneakers, an 18-year-old Learner driver has faced court for the first time after being picked up not once, but twice, for a litany of driving offences within a month.

And he has another potentially serious charge looming after he failed a roadside drug test and a sample was sent to a laboratory for further testing, a court has heard.

Dylan Anthony Hipkins, of North Gosford, appeared at Gosford Local Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to 14 driving offences including leading police on a pursuit, doing burnouts, negligent driving, driving while suspended and two counts each of operating an unregistered, uninsured car.

An agreed set of facts states police were patrolling Kincumber at 8.40pm on May 9 after multiple reports in recent days of a white Holden Statesman doing burnouts in the area.

Police were called to patrol Kincumber Shopping Village after several reports of a white Holden doing burnouts in the area.

Officers saw a white Statesman without a rear number plate leaving Kincumber Village Shopping Centre at 8.43pm.

As it turned left onto Bungoona Rd police saw it do a burnout causing “large plumes of smoke to fill the air”.

Police activated their lights and sirens to stop the car but it took off and a pursuit was initiated.

The facts state Hipkins sped off towards Avoca Drive reaching speeds of 118km/h in a 50km/h zone before losing control and skidding across the centre median strip causing “major undercarriage damage to the vehicle”.

Hipkins continued on to a unit complex on Kooronya Rd where he stopped at the end of a driveway.

Hipkins, 18, leaving Gosford Local Court after pleading guilty to several driving offences. Picture: NewsLocal

“At 8.46pm on the same day a male with a dark mullet style haircut was observed to exit the driver’s seat and run from the vehicle, jumping the fence and entering bush at the rear of the units,” the facts state.

A male passenger of the Statesman also got out but complied with officers’ directions to stop.

The police Dog Squad was called and Hipkins was arrested 15 minutes later where he made full admissions to being the driver.

Checks of the vehicle found it was “heavily defective” with four bald tires, no number plates, a loose battery and buckled rims. The car was unregistered and uninsured.

Police showed Hipkins dashcam footage of the Holden Statesman doing a burnout at Kincumber, which had been captured by a member of the public earlier in the day, and he admitted to being the driver at the time.

He was charged with nine offences and granted bail, with one of the conditions that he not occupy the driver’s seat of a vehicle.

One of Hipkins’ bail conditions was that he not occupy the driver’s seat of a vehicle. Picture: NewsLocal

A month later police were patrolling Railway Crescent at Lisarow at 8.20pm on June 3 when they saw a Ford Falcon turn in front of them and proceed to speed by 10km/h over the limit.

“When approaching the intersection with Excelsior St, the Ford was seen to veer left and attempt to take the corner at speed, the vehicle has left the roadway and mounted the grass verge and completely flattened a stop sign ripping it from the ground, the facts state.

“The Ford then crossed a large drainage ditch back onto the roadway ripping the rear bumper bar from the vehicle before coming to a stop.”

Checks revealed the car was uninsured and unregistered and when officers approached, Hipkins was unable to produce a licence.

Hipkins’ “dark mullet” helped police identify him as the driver who fled after the first pursuit.

Asked why he was driving he replied “because I’m stupid” and acknowledged he knew the car was unregistered and had “faulty brakes”.

Hipkins failed a roadside drug test for cannabis with a further driving under the influence of drugs charge “pending laboratory results”.

Hipkins’ bail was continued and he was adjourned to face court again on August 3 for sentencing.

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