Ryan Harris found guilty of dangerous high speed pursuit from Campbelltown to Arncliffe
Watch the dramatic footage of a man’s erratic and high speed police pursuit - which saw a person stabbed in the neck, three people car-jacked and a gunpoint arrest inside the M5 tunnel.
Macarthur
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An Ambarvale man has been found guilty of a dangerous, high speed and erratic pursuit that went for 60km where he was shot in the leg, car jacked three people, stabbed a driver in the neck and bit a police officer while being arrested.
Ryan John Harris, 36, was found guilty of 11 counts of driving and assault charges, including police pursuit and taking a car without consent, with the court hearing he was also driving under the influence of meth and cannabis, and never held a licence.
Judge Georgia Turner held a special hearing and handed down her judgment in Downing Centre District Court on Friday where she found the acts proven but Harris will not be criminally responsible.
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 drove to St Andrews before he stole a Subaru WRX at Raby Road 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 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 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 Road, Appin and 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 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 try to evade police who were pursuing him.
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.
At one point during the judgment Harris got upset claiming he was not shot in the back of the leg but rather in the front and showed the court his wound.
“I know I’ve done the wrong thing but I’m not a criminal,” he said while swearing, calling out “f------ dogs”.
Harris will be sentenced on October 20.
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