Elijah Daniel Troy Shadbolt-Deverick pleads guilty to driving 180km/h on M1 in stolen car

A Gold Coast teenager had only his learner’s permit when he weaved through traffic and drove on the wrong side of the highway in a stolen vehicle. Find out what happened in court.

A Gold Coast teenager had only his learner’s permit when he drove a stolen car at up to 180km/h through M1 traffic.

Southport Magistrates Court was told Elijah Daniel Troy Shadbolt-Deverick was on bail and under a suspended jail sentence when he got behind the wheel of a vehicle – allegedly stolen from an Upper Coomera home – on April 4.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Greg McKenzie said it was at about 7.50pm that night that the 19-year-old was seen weaving through “moderate” traffic at speeds up to 180km/h.

Sgt McKenzie said Shadbolt-Deverick also flew through a roadworks zone at about 170km/h, drove on the wrong side of the highway, and sped along a 60km/h Nerang street at twice the speed limit.

Elijah Daniel Troy Shadbolt-Deverick. Picture: Facebook/Elijah Shadbolt

Police tracked the car to an underground carpark in Carrara, arresting Shadbolt-Deverick and several others later that night.

The court was told Shadbolt-Deverick was in June last year sentenced to three months’ jail, wholly suspended for 12 months, for similar offending.

Defence lawyer Sam Jackson, of Bamberry Lawyers, said his client was not alleged to have stolen the car and was fully co-operative with police after his arrest.

Mr Jackson said the 19-year-old had struggled with a drug addiction in his late teens, though it did not contribute to his latest offending.

Arrest footage released by police. Picture: QPS

“Effectively my client hopped in that car in an effort to dispose of it and when he saw the police helicopter was tracking him, he panicked and drove in the dangerous manner that’s alleged,” Mr Jackson said.

Shadbolt-Deverick appeared in court via videolink from jail, where he had spent the 29 days since his arrest.

Magistrate Michelle Dooley told the Oxenford man his actions were “just not acceptable”.

“It’s not a game, it’s not a joke, it’s none of those things – this is horrific behaviour that puts the community at risk,” Ms Dooley said.

Shadbolt-Deverick pleaded guilty to several charges including dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, unlawful use of a motor vehicle in the night while in company, and breaching bail.

He was sentenced to nine months’ jail and his three-month suspended sentence was also activated, with parole release on May 31.