How police officer soothed child after Mercedes Mum pursuit
A three-year-old girl was in the back of the Mercedes Mum’s car tearing down a Sydney motorway at 233km/h last year. Police soothed the scared child with some Disney magic.
St George Shire Standard
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A three-year-old girl travelling in the Mercedes Mum’s car howled “I don’t want to go to jail” as she was soothed by a kind police officer with Frozen songs after he pulled the Caringbah woman over for speeding away from him at 233km/h.
Police in-car video played at Wollongong Local Court today revealed Margarita Tomovska, 28, was held at gunpoint by Strike Force Raptor officers after a police pursuit in which she tore down the Princes Motorway near Helensburgh in her $450,000 dark silver Mercedes AMG on November 13.
She was subsequently charged and pleaded not guilty to a police pursuit and having an unrestrained child in the vehicle.
Senior Constable Nathan Grant, who was driving the police car in the pursuit, could be heard scoffing in disbelief as he asked Tomovska why she ran in the footage.
“When people run like that, I assume they have something in the car,” Senior Constable Grant could be heard telling Tomovska.
“How can you drive that fast when a baby’s in the car?”
“Because I was scared,” an emotional Tomovska responded.
The court heard Tomovska’s passenger that night was a man named Christopher King.
Senior Constable Grant told the court officers intended to pull Tomovska’s car over due to intelligence received by Strike Force Raptor that Mr King may have had firearms on him.
No firearms were found and Senior Constable Grant said a subsequent search along the freeway uncovered one magazine in bushland.
Mr King has not been charged with any offences in relation to the incident.
“Why didn’t you tell her to stop the car, you didn’t know you were going 200km/h?” Senior Constable Grant asked Mr King as footage depicted him handcuffed at the vehicle’s rear.
“No, I didn’t know,” Mr King responded.
“If you went into a pole, everyone’s dead,” Senior Constable Grant said.
Senior Constable Grant soothed the screaming girl screaming in the back seat after she was arrested.
“We’re the police, we’re here to help you, no-one’s going to get hurt,” Senior Constable Grant told the little girl.
“Do you like Frozen? Let’s put Frozen on. What’s your favourite Frozen song? Do you know who Elsa is? I know who Elsa is. Who do you like better, Anna or Elsa? Elsa’s got magic powers.”
The sound of Elsa singing Let It Go emanating from the little girl’s iPad could heard throughout much of the arrest footage, eliciting giggles in the courtroom.
The hearing continues today.
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