Calder Hwy desperado Ammar Najjar jailed for almost killing cops during roadside arrest attempt
A crazed desperado who almost killed two police officers during a sensational arrest on the Calder Highway has claimed the Illuminati were talking to him through his TV and were after his family.
North West
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A crazed desperado who almost killed two cops during a brazen getaway on the Calder Highway has been jailed.
Ammar Najjar, 38, was sentenced in the County Court on Friday to a minimum three years’ and four months’ jail after pleading guilty to multiple charges of recklessly expose an emergency services worker and recklessly cause injury.
Najjar and his girlfriend Shari Oliver were on an ice bender and mini-crime spree when Bendigo highway patrol members attempted to arrest the pair at Kangaroo Flat on July 18, 2018.
The terrifying ordeal kicked off when Najjar attempted to bolt in a stolen Honda Civic after they were approached by police just before 6.30pm.
One of the officers wrestled Najjar for control of the gear shift but was attacked by Oliver who gouged and scratched the officer’s eye, the court heard.
Oliver then shifted the gear stick from park to drive to reverse.
The car drifted across two lanes of heavy Calder Highway traffic and into the median strip.
The second officer jumped clear of the runaway car as it rolled towards her.
The court heard she “dry-stunned” Najjar multiple times with her taser, and capsicum sprayed him but he couldn’t be stopped.
The car rolled forward into an electrical pole before it reversed at a “high rate of speed”.
The female officer was struck by the open driver’s door which sent her flying into a tree.
A passing motorist helped the officer as she lay unconscious on the roadside.
The car — with the other officer still inside — swung back across the freeway and up an embankment before smashing into a large gumtree.
The court heard Najjar reversed back onto the highway while the officer desperately clung to the car.
Oliver took control of the steering wheel after the officer put Najjar in a headlock.
The car sped up along the highway with the officer still hanging on.
He asked Najjar to slow down so he could “get out”, the court heard.
The car slowed down but sped up just before the officer had the chance to get out.
He pushed himself out but had to roll across multiple lanes to avoid oncoming traffic.
The court heard Najjar and Oliver fled but were arrested about 20km away.
Both officers spent the night in hospital with serious injuries including multiple fractures.
The female officer, in her victim impact statement, said the incident remained “vivid”.
“I feel something hit me from behind, picking me up, launching me into the air … I’m flying,” she said.
“I see a large tree and say to myself, ‘this is going to hurt’.”
The court heard Najjar was placed on bail just two days before the offending.
It was submitted Najjar — who believed the Illuminati were communicating with him via his television and were after his family — had mental health issues
Judge Paul Lacava said Najjar has a “lengthy criminal history” which included priors for drug trafficking and making a threat to kill.
Judge Lacava also said Najjar was the “principle offender” who had “bleak” prospects of rehabilitation.
Judge Paul Lacava said during Oliver’s sentence hearing the offending was “clearly an attack on police”.
“They directed their anger and violence at police,” Judge Lacava said.
“I don’t see any other way it can be characterised other than an attack on police carrying out their duty.
“It was a very dangerous situation … it’s only luck here that it’s limited to that and no one was killed.”
Judge Lacava also said Oliver and Najjar’s “cruelty” would stay with the police on every shift for the rest of their lives.
Najjar — who had spent 628 days in custody — was jailed for a maximum five years.
Oliver — who was on bail at the time for spitting at police — was in April jailed for nine months but soon released after spending 265 days in custody.
The mum was also handed a two-year community correction order.
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