Lismore: Hannah Thomas, 24, remains on bail following police pursuit and litany of charges

A young woman found hiding in a Northern Rivers paddock after a police pursuit remains on bail after pleading guilty to four of six offences.

A North Coast woman has pleaded guilty to police pursuit, licence and traffic offences after fleeing police and being found in a paddock.

A young woman found hiding in a Northern Rivers paddock after a police pursuit remains on bail after pleading guilty to four of six offences.

Hannah Thomas, 24, appeared before Magistrate Michael Dakin in Lismore Local Court on Monday.

Police will allege Thomas, along with her co-accused, Bodee Caruana, failed to produce identification when police pulled them over in North Lismore on January 27.

Wilson St, corner Terania St, North Lismore where a couple were pulled over before allegedly leading police on a pursuit which ended in a Bentley paddock.

The pair were stopped on Wilson St, where officers saw 32-year-old Caruana and 24-year-old Thomas who they allege swapped seats and refused to produce identification.

Caruana allegedly resisted an officer’s attempts to arrest him with the pair accused of fleeing, prompting a police pursuit.

“A search was conducted with the assistance of a police dog, and the man and woman were arrested after being found hiding in a paddock with a six-year-old child and three dogs,” police said in a statement.

Hannah Thomas and Bodee Caruana were arrested in a paddock at Bentley, near Lismore after fleeing police following a vehicle stop in North Lismore in January 2025. Picture: VRA Rescue NSW

Defence solicitor Rebecca Witchard formally entered guilty pleas to charges of: Police pursuit – not stop – drive dangerously, driver’s licence expired more than two years ago, unlawfully possessing number plates, and using a motor vehicle with unauthorised number plate affixed.

Ms Witchard told the court her client was pleading not guilty to charges of drive with one passenger, seatbelt/restraint not properly fastened and goods in personal custody suspected of being stolen.

Thomas remains on strict conditional bail which forbids her to communicate with Caruana.

She must report to police daily and remain in the state.

Mr Dakin also forbade her from driving/riding and she must abstain from drugs and alcohol.

Thomas was ordered to reappear in Lismore Local Court for sentence hearing on April 17.

Caruana is charged with licence expired more than two years ago, drive with one passenger seatbelt/restraint not properly fastened, hinder or resist police officer in the execution of duty, using a motor vehicle with unauthorised number plate affixed, and goods in personal custody suspected being stolen.

He is scheduled to reappear in Lismore Local Court on March 17.

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Originally published as Lismore: Hannah Thomas, 24, remains on bail following police pursuit and litany of charges