Corey Roberts charged at Bendigo Magistrates’ Court after allegedly ramming police car at Long Gully

A Bendigo man has been charged following a pepper spray arrest after allegedly deliberately ramming a police car.

A Bendigo man has been after he allegedly deliberately rammed a police car on Saturday.

A Bendigo man has been charged following a pepper spray arrest after allegedly deliberately ramming a police car.

Corey Roberts faced Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on Monday charged with intentionally ramming a police car on Saturday.

About 9.40am, police officers in an unmarked car saw a Ford Falcon driving “at a fast rate of speed into oncoming traffic” on Sparrowhawk Rd, Long Gully, police alleged in court.

Police later located Mr Roberts sitting in the car in a driveway on Derwent Drive with an associate before pulling up behind him, partially blocking the driveway, the court heard.

Police pepper sprayed Corey Roberts after he allegedly intentionally rammed a police car. Picture: Tom Parrish

Police allege that Mr Roberts, upon noticing the police, covered his face and turned away in an attempt to conceal his identity.

He then allegedly accelerated “heavily” towards the police car, causing “significant damage” by ramming, before continuing to accelerate into the car after the impact, the court heard.

An officer jumped out of the police car and pepper sprayed him in the face to subdue him and stop the car.

Back at the police station, Mr Roberts tested positive to meth, and he allegedly admitted to police he had “two puffs of an ice pipe”, the court heard.

Police alleged in court Mr Roberts claimed to officers the collision was an accident, and the car had taken off by itself when he turned over the ignition.

Police allege Mr Roberts deliberately rammed the police car, stating he had plenty of room to drive out and avoid the collision.

Mr Roberts’ lawyer said the officers were in an unmarked police car and there was no police lights or sirens at the time of the collision and the officers were in plain clothes and there was no way he could have known they were police officers.

Mr Roberts’ lawyer argued the prosecution case against him alleging he had deliberately rammed police was “problematic”.

Magistrate Trieu Huynh said whether Mr Roberts knew police were in the car, and if he had intentionally rammed it, was a “real issue” that could be taken to trial.

However, it would likely take until late 2025 until any trial could take place.

Mr Huynh found Mr Roberts met the threshold of “extraordinary circumstances” to be eligible for bail under the circumstances, partially due to Mr Roberts’ intellectual disability.

Mr Huynh granted Mr Roberts’ bail, but warned him it would be his one and only chance to behave himself in the community.

Mr Roberts will face committal in September.