Christopher Reynolds: Police fail to prove man was driver of Irymple pursuit car

Man with “distinct” mohawk, which police said could see “from a mile away”, gets out of high speed chase case.

Police gave up their pursuit of a Holden Commodore in Irymple after it went through a busy intersection at speed.

A man accused of driving 150km/h through a busy intersection has walked free after doubt was cast about who was actually behind the wheel.

Christopher Reynolds, 35, who also goes by Christopher Cox, on Thursday at Mildura Magistrates’ Court, pleaded not guilty to five driving charges.

Senior Constable Ryan Prior gave evidence Reynolds had warrants for his arrest on December 23, 2019.

The court heard police received information Reynolds may be at an Irymple unit with a blue Holden Commodore.

Sen-Constable Ryan said he drove past the unit and saw both Reynolds and the car out the front, prompting the officer to pull over 100m away from the unit to wait for back-up to arrive.

He said after 10 minutes, Reynolds got into the driver’s side of the Commodore, which then “immediately” reversed out and took off along Karadoc Ave.

Sen-Constable Ryan said no one else was in the vehicle.

The court was told the Commodore’s quick exit prompted cars in both lanes of traffic to stop.

Sen-Constable Ryan said he then activated the police car’s lights and sirens and began attempting to intercept the Commodore.

He estimated the Commodore to be travelling at about 150km/h as it went through the Fifteenth St intersection, before the chase was called off.

Senior Constable Benjamin Frost, who was in the passenger side of the police car, said it was “amazing no one was injured or killed” as the car went through the busy intersection.

Sen-Constable Frost said during the wait for back-up his attention was focused on the movements of Reynolds, who had a “distinct” mohawk haircut which could be seen “from a mile away”.

Sen-Constable Ryan said the pair returned to the unit, where a person said it was Reynolds who had just left the property.

The court heard checks of the vehicle found it to be unregistered.

Sen-Constable Ryan said he contacted the previous owner, Tegan Bradley, by phone and was told Reynolds had taken the car from her in Hamilton and that she had owed him money due to a drug debt.

Bradley did not make a formal statement to police.

Sen-Constable Ryan said the car was eventually found in Halls Gap.

When called to give evidence in court, Ms Bradley said she was driving the car and Reynolds was a passenger.

Ms Bradley said the car had previously been in an accident, which meant the passenger side doors wouldn’t open, so Reynolds had entered through the driver’s side instead.

Ms Bradley denied ever speaking to a police officer about the matter.

She said she was in Mildura for five days camping before returning to Portland.

Ms Bradley said she had intended to sell her car to a person who resided at the Irymple unit but they didn’t have the money to pay.

She said this made her angry and she “took off like an idiot”.

“There’s no way I would let anyone else drive my car,” she said.

Ms Bradley denied there was a drug debt and said she eventually sold the car for parts after another accident.

A police prosecutor said Ms Bradley had given one account at the time and a different one before the court.

The prosecutor said her evidence had also contradicted that of two police officers.

Magistrate Nunzio La Rosa said the contents of Sen-Constable Ryan’s conversation with Ms Bradley was “hearsay” without a statement and not admissible.

Mr La Rosa said while Ms Bradley’s evidence may have taken the prosecution by surprise, there needed to be a compelling reason to disregard it.

He said 100m was a “significant distance to maintain an observation”.

Mr La Rosa said the prosecution had failed to prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt.

All five charges against Reynolds – failing to stop, driving at a speed dangerous to the public, driving while disqualified, driving an unregistered vehicle and driving in a manner dangerous to the public – were dismissed.

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