Raphael Van Aalst, 43: Disqualified driver nabbed by cops while driving to court
A Sydney driver banned, just weeks ago, for two years for leading police on a 140km/h pursuit, has been caught behind the wheel again. See what happened in court.
Manly
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Just weeks after being banned from driving for two years after leading police on a 140km/h chase to avoid a random drug test, a Sydney man has been caught behind the wheel of his car.
Raphael Van Aalst, 43, was nabbed by police on the Lower North Shore while driving himself to court at Parramatta where he was to be sentenced for another offence.
In Manly Local Court on February 8, Van Aalst, unemployed of Waterloo, narrowly avoided jail after he was convicted of a string of serious driving offences.
He had pleaded guilty to one count each of police pursuit (not stop) drive dangerously; fail to comply with signal to stop vehicle; not give particulars to other driver; drive under the influence of a prohibited drug and; drive while licence suspended.
Manly Court heard that Van Aalst had crashed his car after trying to out run police at speeds of 140km/h when they tried to stop him for a random breath test at Northwood in February 2023.
He accelerated away in a Subaru Forester, leading police on the short high speed pursuit before his car collided with another vehicle at a set of traffic lights. He then jumped from his smashed up car and leapt into the nearby Lane Cove River in a desperate bid to avoid arrest.
Police stated in a facts sheet tendered to court on February 8 that staff at Royal North Shore Hospital, where he was taken after the collision, were of the opinion that Van Aalst was in a “drug psychosis”.
The court also heard in February, that on June 2, 2023, Van Aalst was stopped while driving a Volvo XC90, for a random drug test at Mona Vale. As a result of that stop he was charged with one count each of drive under the influence of methylamphetamine and drive while licence suspended. His licence had been suspended as a result of the police pursuit charges in February.
On February 8, Magistrate Robyn Denes sentenced Van Aalst to 18 months jail, but said the time could be served in the community under supervision of parole authorities, as an Intensive Correction Order. She also disqualified him from driving for two years.
In Manly court on Thursday, Van Aalst pleaded guilty to one count each of drive while disqualified and stating a false name or home address after he was caught driving an unregistered car in Amherst St, Cammeray at 10.05am on April 3.
Van Aalst had been due to face Parramatta Local Court to be sentenced for possessing a prohibited drug.
His legal aid solicitor suggested that the State Parole Authority would probably revoke the ICO in the wake of the new charges.
He will be sentenced in Manly Local Court on May 2.
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