Matthew Drew accused of New Year’s Eve shooting in Kangaroo Flat

A Bendigo man allegedly involved in a New Year’s Eve shooting graffitied a cheeky message to police during a month-long manhunt.

Matthew Drew was accused of shooting at a Kangaroo Flat home on New Year's Day, 2021, following an Instagram argument over a stolen ute. Picture: Zizi Averill

A Bendigo man allegedly involved in a New Year’s Eve shooting left a cheeky message taunting police during a month-long manhunt.

Bendigo Magistrates’ Court heard police found graffiti scrawled across fugitive Matthew Drew’s empty home during a search in January, 2021.

“Missed me. Matt: one. Po-Po: zero. Too slow.”

Drew appeared via a prison link on Wednesday to apply for bail over allegations he shot at a Kangaroo Flat home and multiple charges of vehicle theft.

Police alleged the 30-year-old stole a ute and trailer from a Kangaroo Flat property in late December 2020.

Bendigo detective Senior Constable Ashley Sutton told the court the ute was recovered on December 30 in Kennington, 100m from Drew’s home.

The owner of the stolen ute used social media to track Drew, accusing him of stealing his vehicle.

A heated Instagram messenger argument escalated, with police alleging Drew told the Kangaroo Flat man” “Do you have ambulance cover? You’re done dog.”

Sen-Constable Sutton claimed Drew threaten to shoot the Kangaroo Flat man’s father in the back of the head and warned his victim to “sleep with your eyes open”.

The court heard at 3am on New Year’s Day there was a drive-by shooting at the Kangaroo Flat home, with bullet holes discovered at the front of the house.

The next morning the Kangaroo Flat man was at his front garden when a Jeep drove past as a man yelled “you f —king dog”.

Sen-Constable Sutton alleged Drew left the Jeep holding a gun and shot at the home twice before fleeing.

He said police later conducted forensic evidence on the stolen Jeep to test for gunshot residue, but the results were not yet finalised.

Sen-Constable Sutton said there was a month-long search for Drew using the resources of an entire police division.

“He just kept running,” Sen-Constable Sutton told the court.

Police also accused Drew of a string of car thefts and the theft of a number plate in January, stealing plates from Bendigo, Elsternwick and vehicles from Romsey and Strathfieldsaye.

Drew later surrendered himself to police on January 22 after they arrived at a Sunbury home.

Police claim they uncovered stolen cars, keys, and number plates.

Sen-Constable Sutton said Drew was a flight risk as he had escaped from custody before, becoming a fugitive for two weeks in 2017.

Drew’s Lawyer Alex McLennan questioned the prosecution’s case connecting Drew to the shooting given forensic testing was not complete and the firearm had not been found.

Mr McLennan said release to his aunt’s home would provide Drew with strong family support to avoid reoffending and meet bail conditions and start a new job in landscaping.

Magistrate Megan Aumair said the bail application was a “line ball case” given the lack of forensic evidence in the shooting charge.

But Ms Aumair said Drew had a significant criminal history for a man of just 30 and the allegations of a firearm made him an “unacceptable risk”.

Drew, who had already spent 75 days in custody, had his bail application denied.

He is due to reappear in Bendigo Magistrates’ Court on April 26.