Bradley Whittaker: Mt Waverley hoon jailed over horrifying Ashwood, The Glen, Dandenong crime spree

A gutless Mt Waverley hoon who came centimetres from running down police officers during a drug-fuelled crime spree has faced court.

Bradley Whittaker has been jailed following a disturbing crime spree spanning across Melbourne’s southeast. Picture: Facebook

A coward hoon who robbed a disability support worker and 71-year-old woman before nearly running down police officers in a stolen car has been jailed.

Bradley Whittaker, 23, was jailed for a maximum of four years and six months in the County Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to a stack of charges relating to a three-hour crime spree on May 19.

The court heard the drug-addled Mt Waverley thug had only been out of prison for one month when he tried to steal a car in Noble Park and smashed its window as his friends waited in a stolen car about 9am.

When a resident confronted him, Wittaker gave up, got back into the stolen car and drove into a fence on Corrigan Rd before ditching the vehicle and running along Kelvinside Rd.

He then set his sights on a vulnerable disability support worker who was preparing his wheelchair-friendly car for a client.

Whittaker shouted, “give me the f*****g keys”, and snatched them from the victim, with the wheelchair ramp screeching along the driveway as he sped away.

Police and the Air Wing tailed Whittaker as he drove through Noble Park at speeds of up to 140km/h before flying through Dandenong at 96km/h in a 70km/h zone.

The court heard he forced other drivers onto the wrong side of the road, dodged police stop sticks, overtook traffic, mounted the footpath, sped and ran red lights as he continued through more suburbs including Ashwood and Mt Waverley.

The thug pulled into a car park at The Glen Shopping Centre where he approached a 71-year-old woman who had told him to slow down about 12pm.

The terrified woman fell to the ground as Whittaker yanked her handbag off her shoulder, snapping the strap.

Officers caught up with Whittaker and doused him with capsicum spray but he got back into the stolen car and accelerated towards them.

The court heard police desperately jumped out of the way as Whittaker reversed toward them with the driver’s door open.

Whittaker’s wild spree came to an end after officers barricaded the car, dragging the thug out as he wrestled with police.

Officers hit Whittaker several times with batons to subdue him.

The court heard Whittaker suffers from depression, anxiety and stimulant use disorder.

The Year 7 dropout started abusing drugs and alcohol when he was 12.

“It was readily imaginable that driving your car in those circumstances could easily have had serious consequences for those police officers attempting to do their job to protect the public,”

Judge Justin Hannebry said.

“It was only good fortune in their evasive action that meant no police were run over by the vehicle or crushed.”

Whittaker was convicted of charges including negligent driving while pursued by police, attempted theft, careless driving, theft, carjacking and drive disqualified.

He will serve three years and six months before he is made eligible for parole.