Anthony Villella: Mernda dad’s dangerous police chase on parole

A Mernda dad had been free for just three weeks when he got in trouble again. He then led police on a highly dangerous chase.

Anthony Villella breached parole with a dangerous police chase.

A young Mernda father had only been on parole for three weeks — following a year behind bars — when he was caught committing crimes again.

Anthony Villella was sentenced to four months’ jail and an 18-month corrections order at the Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on November 25, having pleaded guilty to charges including reckless conduct endangering life.

The 24-year-old was caught driving a stolen car at Northland shopping centre on a disqualified licence on April 28, just three weeks after he was released following more than 12 months in jail for charges including car theft and dangerous driving.

Villella then drove at more than 100km/h in a 60km/h zone with his headlights off, running a red light, after police saw him driving without number plates in South Morang on July 30.

He drove on the wrong side of the road to try to escape police and almost had a head-on crash with another car.

Villella, who has multiple prior convictions for car theft, then stole a car from Mernda in September and stole number plates.

His crimes breached both his parole and a corrections order.

The court heard Corrections Victoria had deemed him unsuitable for a new order, saying he had an ingrained criminal attitude and took no responsibility for his actions.

It was also heard Villella had a seven-year-old child and had suffered a traumatic childhood.

Magistrate Stephen Ballek decided to give Villella one more chance at a corrections order.

“You’re still a young man and that’s a tragedy,” he said.

Mr Ballek noted Villella had already served 80 days’ jail.