Michael Gori: attempt to run down Melbourne e-scooter riders in St Kilda, Broadmeadows Magistrates Court

A Craigieburn man who threatened to run over four E-scooter riders in St Kilda has made a bid for freedom. See the video of his dangerous antics.

A Craigieburn man who tried to run down E-scooter riders in St Kilda last month has been released from jail in time to attend the funeral of his father.

Michael Gori, 32, pleaded guilty to a road rage incident in St Kilda, where he circled and drove at four e-scooter riders, forcing some to take evasive action.

But on Wednesday the Broadmeadows Magistrates’ Court heard Gori received an emergency phone call from his mother in prison last weekend, informing him that his father had died unexpectedly of a heart attack.

Defence lawyer Anna Balmer said the funeral of Gori’s father was on Thursday, and added: “I’m asking the court to be merciful in these circumstances.”

The police opposed bail, and said Gori’s road rage episode was “serious and unprovoked”.

Police told the court that at 11.45pm on February 13, four people were riding e-scooters north on St Kilda Rd when an argument broke out between Gori’s girlfriend and a rider.

Gori, who was “seeing red” after the altercation, started his yellow Ford and drove “directly” at one of the victims, forcing one man to jump off the scooter, before performing a U-turn and driving at the victims again from the wrong side of the road.

“It was an unprovoked incident. It was a serious incident,” police said.

On February 23 police went to Gori’s address in Craigieburn, where he lives with his partner, and in the process of arresting him found three 90cm marijuana plants and explosives.

Gori made full admissions, and told police the e-scooter riders had “threatened to rob and rape her,” referring to his girlfriend.

He told police a “significant accident” a decade ago had led him to use marijuana in order to ease his pain, and he was seeking a medical prescription for the drug.

Ms Balmer said that after the shock death of his father, Mori was “grieving alone” and “without support”.

She said the court could impose a “lengthy and onerous CCO.”

Ms Balmer said Mori, who grew up in Middle Park, had the support of his mother and girlfriend — both of whom appeared on the videolink in support.

She said that her client suffered an acquired brain injury in a traffic accident in 2008, when a car hit him and left him with a fractured skull and punctured lung.

As a result, “it may be that he does not have the capacity to regulate his emotions,” she said.

Regarding the minor explosives found in his home, Ms Balmer said: “He makes fireworks, which is unusual.”

She said they were little more than modified sparklers, but a legal definition categorised them as an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).

Magistrate Stella Stuthridge released Mori, on the condition that he not drive, take drugs and abides by a curfew.

Ms Stuthridge warned Gori that he may face a term of imprisonment over the road rage incident.

He will return to court to be sentenced at a date yet to be established.