Jamaine Baksh: Shepparton hoon taunted police in high-speed chases
A 23-year-old hoon allegedly taunted police by driving stolen cars at dangerously high speeds in a series of high-speed chases across Shepparton. But his arrogant antics were his undoing.
Goulburn Valley
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A Shepparton hoon who allegedly lead police on a “flurry” of high-speed chases throughout residential streets across town in stolen cars with stolen number plates was lucky not to have hurt anyone, a court has heard.
The Shepparton Magistrates’ Court heard Jamaine Baksh, 23, racked up more than 100 charges from December 2018 related to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, and reckless conduct endangering life.
In the two weeks leading up to his arrest, he was allegedly spotted either driving while disqualified or driving dangerously on six different days, and allegedly stole petrol twice.
The recent offending started in mid-June, where Baksh was allegedly seen by police driving a stolen Mercedes through north Shepparton residential streets at more than 100km/h in a 60 zone.
When police later attended a unit in Shepparton to arrest an unrelated offender, they allegedly found the stolen car parked in the garage.
About a fortnight later on June 24, a yellow Hyundai, also identified as stolen with false rear plates, was spotted driving erratically between 7 and 9pm, speeding through red lights and stop signs.
The car allegedly did not slow when police turned their sirens on. Instead, the court heard it wove through north Shepparton streets with its lights off to “avoid detection”.
The stolen car was allegedly again seen a day later travelling “extremely recklessly” down Wyndham St, where police allege it was travelling more than 100km/h in school and residential zones.
The car was later found dumped, and a fingerprint analysis allegedly linked it to the accused.
A search of the car also allegedly revealed a wallet with Baksh’s ID, small plastic bags containing meth and “green vegetable matter”, and a silver Rolex watch.
Then on July 1, the court heard Baksh was allegedly seen by police driving another car erratically around town again with stolen plates, ducking in and out of traffic on the Goulburn Valley Hwy before narrowly avoiding a crash.
Police abandoned pursuing Baksh due to the “reckless driving” and the “imminent danger” of getting into a chase in built-up residential areas.
In the days before his arrest on July 10 about 8:30pm, police allegedly spotted a Holden sedan with no plates driving east along Maude St.
The car then stopped at the Maude and Knight St intersection, where a female jumped out of the front seat, and the accused took the wheel.
Baksh allegedly spun the tyres, causing the rubber to burn and squeal along Maude St, and police again ditched a chase.
The high-speed driving ended on July 14, when Baksh was arrested at the Tatura Country Motel, where he was staying with his girlfriend.
Earlier this year in January, the court heard Baksh’s fingerprints were allegedly linked to a speeding car in Echuca, which pummelled through roundabouts along Heygarth St, causing other cars to narrowly avoid colliding.
The court heard Baksh has been in custody for 161 days and gave a no comment interview in relation to all of the charges.
Magistrate Stella Stuthridge said the only “positive thing about this flurry of (alleged) offending” was “no one was injured and there’s no motor vehicle accident”.
The matter will be heard again on November 5.
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