Illawarra man Nicholas Coelho to learn fate for dangerous pursuit
Only three months after being spared time behind bars for a frightening ice-fuelled robbery, an Illawarra man has been involved in another brazen crime.
Illawarra Star
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A Berkeley man was busted for a dangerous high-speed pursuit three months into a 23-month intensive correction order for an ice-fuelled robbery of a pizza boy.
Nichols Coelho will be sentenced in Wollongong Local Court next month after pleading guilty to being involved in a police pursuit, exceeding the speed limit by more than 45km/h and negligent driving.
Documents tendered in court indicated police, at about 9.40pm on September 10, spotted a hire vehicle turning onto a side street from the inside lane of Windang Rd in Winding.
The police followed the vehicle which initially slowed down before speeding up again, so a police pursuit was initiated as the vehicle mounted the footpath for about 20 metres.
The vehicle returned to the road before turning back onto Windang Rd where the pursuit was terminated after it reached speeds in excess of 160km/h in an 80km/h zone.
The documents stated that a short time later police sighted the vehicle on King St, Warrawong.
The police switched on their hazard lights as the vehicle turned onto Northcliffe Dr where they lost it after it sped off at 140km/h in a 60km/h zone.
Two days later, at about 12.20pm, police spotted the same vehicle reversing out of the driveway of Coelho’s parent’s house in Nolan St, Berkeley.
When the driver saw the police, they quickly drove back into the driveway and tried to run inside, however, they were caught by police and identified themselves as Nicholas Coelho.
When asked about the pursuits, Coelho said he couldn’t remember all the details due to consuming alcohol and drugs.
The documents stated he told officers he did not stop because he didn’t want to go back to jail.
The officers noticed damage along the passenger side of the vehicle which Coelho revealed happened when he “crashed into something” in Lake Heights.
The now 34-year-old told the police it was a hire vehicle from Hertz Unanderra which was hired out in his mother’s name.
Coelho was taken to Lake Illawarra Command where he told police he had half a gram of meth and was worried he would go back to jail for breaching his ICO.
When being sentenced in June, 2022, for mugging $50 from a pizza delivery driver, Judge Julia Baly said she accepted Coelho had “effectively rehabilitated himself” and there was no justification to send him to prison.
Judge Baly also warned any further offending would likely see him locked up.
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