Wyong: Daryl Edward Carr pleads guilty to crashing stolen taxi after police pursuit

A Learner driver has pleaded guilty to carjacking a taxi while armed with a hammer, terrifying an elderly couple and leading police on a pursuit before rolling the cab several times.

A Learner driver will face court next month to set a sentencing date after pleading guilty to carjacking a taxi, threatening an elderly couple with a back scratcher and leading police on a high-speed pursuit.

Daryl Edward Carr, of Wyong, faced Wyong Local Court on Tuesday where he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with intent to steal a car while armed with an offensive weapon, aggravated breaking and entering and being an unaccompanied Learner driver.

The 37-year-old also pleaded guilty to three other offences on a Form 1 document including damaging property, intimidation and failing to stop during a police pursuit, which will be taken into account when he is sentenced.

Carr pleaded guilty in Wyong Local Court on Tuesday.

An agreed set of facts states Carr used his mum’s phone to book a taxi shortly after 6pm on August 19, last year, to take him to Toukley.

As the taxi turned into Hill St at Gorokan Carr told the driver to “get out of the car” and pulled out a hammer he had hidden beside him.

The taxi driver grabbed hold of the hammer to “stop the offender hitting him with it” and eventually pulled over outside a house on The Corso where the driver was able to rip the hammer from Carr’s hand and get out.

The taxi driver fled down the street, throwing the hammer away as Carr chased him on foot before the driver managed to flag down a passing motorist.

Carr approached the car and punched the window three times and ripped off the drivers’ side door handle before the terrified young female driver sped away.

Carr carjacked the taxi after booking it for a trip to Toukley. (File image)

The facts state Carr then went in through the rear door of a nearby house and grabbed a plastic back scratcher and threatened two elderly residents who were watching television demanding they give him the keys to their van parked outside.

The woman, 73, threw a glass of water at him and Carr fled out the same door after grabbing a pair of scissors from the kitchen bench.

Carr got back into the driver’s seat of the taxi and drove off before he was spotted by a Traffic & Highway Patrol officer joining the M1 motorway.

The facts state Carr reached speeds of up to 185km/h in the taxi with the police car in hot pursuit.

Carr pleaded guilty to several offences. Photo courtesy of NSW Police

“Another police vehicle situated further south on the motorway pulled over into the eastern breakdown lane with the intention to set up road spikes,” the facts state.

“Whilst the officer was still in the vehicle, and before he was able to set up the road spikes, the offender veered into the eastern breakdown lane at high speed and collided with (the) rear side of the stationary police vehicle.

“The taxi careered out of control and rolled several times into the eastern embankment of the motorway before coming to a standstill on its passenger side approximately 50m down the road.”

Carr was arrested as he climbed out of the back of the taxi and was recorded on body worn video making several admissions including “I just took off with the car, just stupid” and that he had taken the taxi after entering the house looking for keys.

He also told police he was armed with “a hammer and a pair of scissors”.

Checks revealed Carr was the holder of a Learner licence at the time.

He was remanded in custody to reappear at Gosford District Court on October 6 to set a sentencing date.