Patrick McMillan faces jail time after terrifying armed carjacking, police chase

An ice addict who dragged an innocent woman from her car at gunpoint after a high-speed police chase has been jailed for more than a decade, with a judge describing the crimes as “vicious, cowardly and terrifying”.

An ice addict who was caught on camera dragging a woman from her car at gunpoint after leading police on a high-speed chase through Melbourne’s northern suburbs, has been jailed for 14 years.

The court heard after a four-week drug and alcohol bender in November 2017, Patrick McMillan, 34, had committed “vicious, cowardly and terrifying” crimes on November 24.

As the father of two led police on a chase in a stolen car, he “drove at a breathtaking 200km/h”, Judge Gregory Lyon said.

“Your driving was highly irresponsible and reckless...(these were) disgraceful acts of violence,” Judge Lyon said.

“Your driving exposed countless members of the public to your dangerous acts,” he said.

McMillan had also attacked an off-duty policeman, an “appalling act of assault by intimidation,” Judge Lyon said.

His carjacking victim “showed remarkable tenancity and bravery,” struggling against McMillan as he dragged her from behind the wheel by her hair and flung her to the ground.

McMillan was later arrested in the driveway of his Glenroy home.

Police helicopter video footage showed McMillan grabbing a woman by her hair and throwing her to the ground to steal her car.

McMillan’s shocking crime spree began with the aggravated armed robbery of a group of men who he and another man chased in their car on November 22.

McMillan had hit one of the men in the head with a sawn-off shotgun.

The court heard McMillan had a history of ice addiction and was on a three- to four-week bender using ice, GHB, cocaine and alcohol when he started a police chase through multiple Melbourne suburbs on November 24.

He drove at speeds of up to 200km/h, ran red lights, and drove on a footpath and down the wrong side of the road through Melbourne’s western and northern suburbs during the 90-minute chase.

At one point he drove straight through train boom gates to evade police.

He stopped outside Ivanhoe train station in a stolen car and ran towards a woman sitting in a red Jaguar sedan, wielding a handgun at her and dragging her from her car.

Others came to the woman’s aid but backed off when McMillan pointed the gun at them.

Witnesses told the Leader they were left shocked and shaken after trying to fight off McMillan and help the woman.

McMillan abandoned the Jaguar in the underground carpark of Doncaster shopping centre where he stole a Mercedes. He continued the chase until again ditching his car in the Chadstone Shopping Centre carpark and pointing the gun at the driver of a Nissan Skyline, yelling at him to get out.

He eventually pulled into the driveway of 850 Pascoe Vale Rd and was arrested.

Police at the Ivanhoe crime scene on November 24 2017. Picture: Tony Gough

Judge Lyon took into account McMillan’s early guilty plea, but said courts were receiving last minute letters of remorse on an “increasingly frequent basis”.

He said McMillan had “poor prospects of rehabilitation”.

The court McMillan was raised in Adelaide, only completed Year 8 high school, his father had been a bikie and his mother “violent.”

He had been in and out of foster care during his childhood.

He told police he had no recollection of his crimes on November 24.

The court heard he had been in custody since his arrest and was in rehab for his long-term methamphetamine addiction.

He had pleaded guilty to 17 charges including armed robbery, assault, assaulting a police officer and carjacking.

In a letter to the court, McMillan said he regretted his actions and made “sincere apologies” to his victims and the community.

“Not a single day has passed where I have not regretted my actions.,” the letter said.

He said he would dedicate the rest of his life to his children, aged 12 and 7.

McMillan was sentenced to 14 years and 11 months’ jail, with non-parole period of ten years and 4 months.