Blake Cross and Jorja Wheeler appeal Taree street race sentence in District Court

The case of two teens caught street racing through the middle of a Mid-North Coast town late at night has wound up back in court. Here’s the latest on the case.

Where Victoria Street become Chatham Ave at Taree.

The “tortured” case of two Taree teens caught street racing through the main street late at night has wound up back in court.

Blake Cross and Jorja Wheeler have both appealed the severity of the sentences they received at the local court level for racing along Victoria St towards Chatham about 11.30pm on December 11 last year.

Their vehicles hit speeds of up to 150km/h and the pair crossed seven “blind” intersections, the court was told.

It was during the District Court appeal of Cross’ sentence that the judge told the court the case had, at times, been “tortured” due to a number of mistakes made by Transport NSW and in the courts.

‘Not a game of Grand Theft Auto’

The charges the pair were facing relate to an incident around 11.30pm on December 11.

Cross and Wheeler were both initially convicted and disqualified from driving for three years in the local court on a charge of organising/promoting a race between vehicles – first offence.

Blake Cross leaves Taree court on March 1.

Cross was 19 at the time and Wheeler 17.

When Wheeler’s matter came before Taree Local Court Magistrate Allison Hawkins in March, she said the community was fed up with hearing about young P-platers crashing and dying.

“How did you think this was going to end? Going 130km along a built up area,” she said.

“I have a drawer full of P-platers dead – I do Coronial reports on those deaths.”

She told the court Wheeler only had her licence “five minutes”, was “extremely inexperienced” and that her actions posed a huge risk to the public.

Wheeler was driving a white Mazda 3 and the co-accused was in a black Mazda 3, according to police documents tendered to court.

When Cross, who works at a local McDonald’s fast food restaurant in a senior managerial position, faced the same magistrate for sentencing in June, she had strong words of warning.

“This is not a game of Grand Theft Auto. You don’t crash and get to press a button and start again,” she said.

Jorja Wheeler leaves Taree Local Court on March 8.

Through his lawyer, Cross questioned police facts which stated the race reached speeds of 150km/h per hour and said the vehicles more likely hit about 130km per hour.

Ms Hawkins said: “In terms of stopping (braking) time, it makes no difference.”

“If somebody is there, they are dead,” she told the court.

She said the consequences of the race could have been disastrous.

Appeals heard in the District Court

In relation to street racing, Cross was convicted and fined $550 and disqualified from driving for three years, backdated to the time of the offence.

On September 5, his severity appeal was heard in the District Court and his disqualification period was reduced from three years to 12 months.

Cross has also been convicted of driving recklessly/furiously or in a dangerous speed/manner – first offence and sentenced to a two-year conditional release order, starting September 5.

On August 21 in the District Court, Wheeler also appealed the severity of her sentence for the same offences.

She was found guilty but no conviction was recorded and she was sentenced to a two-year conditional release order starting August 21.

The District Court made no further order in relation to the suspension of her licence because a conviction was not recorded.

Wheeler and Cross were ordered to be of good behaviour for two years.