County Court: Manual Reddy on serious driving charges fronts court

Cops tried to wake up a drugged-up driver slumped in the driver’s seat in a Sunshine car park before he reversed at speed, injuring an officer

Manual Reddy has fessed up in the Victoria County Court to serious driving charges and will be sentenced next week.

A drugged-up man found slumped in the driver’s seat of his car in a busy car park hit a police officer when he reversed his car, a court has heard

Manual Reddy, 31, pleaded guilty in the Victoria County Court on Thursday to one charge of recklessly exposing an emergency worker to risk by driving and another of causing injury recklessly.

He committed the offences whilst on bail on other charges.

The court heard two people observed an unconscious Reddy slumped over the steering wheel of a Hyundai sedan in the Sunshine Marketplace carpark about 2.30pm on January 23 this year.

First Constable Monique Lyth and Constable Kaitlyn McLeod attended the carpark to check on Reddy and their body worn cameras were activated.

They tried to wake him up and Constable McLeod reached into the driver’s side window and turned the car off.

About a minute later, Reddy woke up and was asked whether he had taken any drugs. When asked to exit the car, he said “OK’ but remained seated, then opened the driver door, but the car started to roll back as it was not in park and the handbrake was not on.

First Constable Lyth reached over Reddy and pulled the handbrake on, before Reddy then started screaming and tried to put his hands on the wheel and drive the car.

Constable McLeod sprayed Reddy in the face, but this was ineffective and Reddy kept trying to put the handbrake down and drive away.

Constable McLeod heard the ignition start and was “extremely fearful” given that she

observed him to be drug affected and in control of a car.

The other officer said her mind was focussed on “the people in the car park” as she was worried about bystanders being injured or killed.

Constable McLeod stepped back when Reddy revved the car and tried to pull First Constable Lyth away to avoid her being hit. Suddenly, Reddy reversed the car at speed and struck First Constable Lyth who was thrown 1-2m away, landing on asphalt and suffering a lacerations and bruising

Reddy was remanded back in custody to reappear for sentencing on October 26.