Ryan Harris awaits sentence for dangerous pursuit from Campbelltown to Arncliffe

Watch the shocking footage of man who led police on a high speed chase – after he had been shot in the leg, carjacked three people and stabbed a driver – that ended in a gunpoint arrest.

A Macarthur man who led police on a 60km-long high speed, dangerous pursuit after he had been shot in the leg, carjacked three people and stabbed a driver will have to wait two more months to learn his fate.

Ryan John Harris, 37, appeared in Downing Centre Local Court last week for a sentence hearing after he was found guilty of 11 driving and assault charges.

The trail of destruction began in Rosemeadow when police saw Harris driving a stolen blue Subaru Impreza erratically on the wrong side of the road before they engaged in a pursuit on November 4, 2020 about 10.20am.

Harris, who lived in Ambarvale, drove to St Andrews before he stole a Subaru WRX at Raby Rd and was again pursued by police, who had activated lights and sirens.

Police chased him to Narellan while Harris drove more than 20km/h above the speed limit and over a mounted concrete divider and into oncoming traffic.

Harris brandished a machete at a motorist at a petrol station.

Harris stopped at Caltex petrol station where he rammed a police car several times, exited the car and pulled out a machete.

He ran towards a man who was filling up with petrol and pointed the machete at him as he tried to get into his car.

A police officer shot Harris in the leg.

A police officer was repeatedly yelling at Harris to “drop the knife” and “get on the ground” while his firearm was pointed at him.

Harris then approached another car, still holding the machete where he bashed on a window before the police officer fired his gun twice, shooting him once in the leg.

Harris limped away and threw the machete in the garden before he approached another car.

He pulled out a screwdriver from his backpack and used it to open the passenger side door and the driver exited the car as he moved into the driver’s seat.

Harris drove away and travelled onto Appin Rd, Appin, stabbed a driver in the neck and stole the man’s white Holden Cruze.

The court heard Harris then drove for 22 minutes, reaching speeds of more than 140km/h as he was pursued by police and Polair.

Harris stabbed a driver in the neck.

Harris was captured on the car’s dashcam saying “I just stabbed someone in the neck to get this car”, “I’ve been shot”, “a copper shot me,” “I’m getting chased” and “I’m trying to get out of here”.

During the pursuit, Harris proceeded through red lights, overtook cars on the shoulder, travelled into oncoming traffic, and swerved erratically around cars to evade police.

Harris was finally stopped in the M5 East tunnel when police set up a roadblock before he bit a police officer who was trying to arrest him.

Last year Judge Georgia Turner held a special hearing and handed down her judgment where she found the acts proven but Harris will not be criminally responsible.

Harris was found guilty of charges including police pursuit, taking a car without consent, driving under the influence of meth and cannabis, and never holding a licence.

Harris was arrest at gunpoint.

Harris’ sentence had been delayed awaiting a report from a psychologist who noted Harris had been diagnosed with persistent depressive disorder in 2019 and he continued to suffer.

Harris also has an intellectual disability and was abusing drugs at the time, with the psychologist opining all three issues were interrelated and directly contributed to his crimes.

“It was my opinion that impairments in relation to reasoning, reduced impulse controls and difficulties in regulating emotions associated with Harris’ intellectual disability had contributed to his onset of substance use in addition to predisposing him to behavioural issues including anti- social behaviours,” the court heard.

“His complex trauma history also directly contributed to the maintenance of his drug use, with Harris describing to have used drugs to avoid his thoughts and feelings related to his past trauma in addition to managing his symptoms of depression.”

The court also heard Harris’ father had ill health and the anniversary of his brother’s death was approaching which was making him agitated and mentally unwell, but he had not received counselling while on remand.

Harris will be sentenced on May 3.