Neil Coulton in Latrobe Valley court over alleged Melbourne Cup Day police chase
It may be the race that stops the nation but it didn’t stop a Cowes man from allegedly stealing a car, speeding away from police and crashing into three other vehicles.
Bass Coast News
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It may be the race that stops the nation but it didn’t stop a Cowes man from allegedly stealing a car, speeding away from police and crashing into three other cars.
Neil Coulton, 41, appeared at the Latrobe Valley Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday for a bail application hearing over a raft of charges including theft of a car and reckless conduct endangering serious injury.
The court heard a Phillip Island tradie parked his car but left the key in the ignition as he raced into a Settlement Rd paint shop about 11am Tuesday November 7.
From the paint shop, he noticed his car was reversing and assumed it was a prank but the car started to drive away.
The man ran out in front of the vehicle telling the driver to stop but the driver — alleged to be Mr Coulton — continued to drive off.
Mr Coulton, a cashier, allegedly drove the car past police, off Phillip Island and erratically on the South Gippsland Hwy towards Jam Jerrup.
Sirens blaring and with the Air Wing overhead, police followed Mr Coulton who allegedly kept switching lanes and stopping during traffic before taking off quickly.
The cashier then allegedly collided with three vehicles in Lang Lang but failed to stop, despite one car being so badly damaged it needed to be towed away.
Instead, the court was told, he allegedly raced away at speeds of 120km/h before soon dumping the car.
When police arrested Mr Coulton on foot, they allegedly found a gel blaster, gel blaster pellets, a hammer and a Stanley knife in his pockets.
On Wednesday, Magistrate Ann Collins bailed Mr Coulton with conditions to report to the Wonthaggi Police Station three times a week.
He will return to court later this month.
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