Hamish McCallum: Dad had toddler in car during police pursuit down wrong side of Hume Hwy

A Rainbow drug user led police on a high speed chase down the wrong side of Hume Hwy with his toddler in the back seat, a court has heard.

A Rainbow man who led police on a high speed pursuit down the wrong side of the Hume Hwy highway with his toddler in the back seat has been jailed.

Hamish Logan Kiphana McCallum, 37, faced Albury Local Court on July 14 after he pleaded guilty to a range of driving offences.

McCallum lost his license for 12 months after he was caught driving in a dangerous manner in Victoria on January 21 2021.

Four months later court documents show police pulled McCallum over for driving at 129km/h on the Hume Hwy about 8.40am on May 18 2021.

As officers approached the white Toyota corolla, McCallum sped off with his partner in the front seat and his three-year-old child in the back seat.

During the police pursuit McCallum reached speeds of up to 185km/h.

Police terminated the pursuit at the Mirrabooka rest area when McCallum slowed to 99km/h and crossed to the wrong side of the highway, travelling southbound in the northbound lane.

Police spotted McCallum again driving west on Woomargama Way towards the intersection of the Hume Hwy, where he crossed double unbroken lines on the incorrect side of the concrete median strip and made an L-turn onto the Hume Hwy.

When police activated their lights and sirens, McCallum crossed onto the wrong side of the Hume Hwy and travelled south in the northbound lane.

The court documents show police witnessed McCallum narrowly miss an oncoming truck by overtaking it in the breakdown lane.

Police later received information McCallum had travelled from the Olympic Hwy in Table Top onto a rural property, driving past the owners and ditching the car behind a hay shed before continuing on foot into Table Top National Park.

Police executed an extensive six-hour search involving police dogs and police helicopters due to concerns for the safety of the toddler.

They located McCallum and his son in a nearby paddock about 3.46pm, where McCallum was arrested.

Police also located a plastic container with a pipe and meth inside, which McCallum said he last smoked “on top of the mountain” prior to his arrest.

McCallum’s partner was located in another paddock nearby.

McCallum’s defence solicitor said his client had finished Year 12 and had become a carpenter, but after his brother killed himself in 2013 he went off the rails and had struggled with drug addiction.

He said McCallum had panicked when he was pulled over by police.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Andrew Coombs said the threshold for jail had been crossed.

“It’s a serious example of this type of offending,” Sgt Coombs said.

“He was involved in a police pursuit in Victoria in January this year.”

Magistrate Richard Funston agreed the threshold had been crossed.

“Driving at that speed with a child in the car, on the wrong side of the highway — it’s the most horrific example of a police pursuit,” Mr Funston said.

McCallum was sentenced to three-years in prison with a non-parole period of 18 months.

He will be eligible for parole on November 17 2022.