Steven Krestevski: Epping man crashes stolen Mercedes, breaks into car at Chadstone
A disqualified learner and car thief was high on ice when he caused a major crash, injuring one driver and fleeing the scene. And this was only part of his “enormous” crime spree.
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A car thief who left a driver with neck and back injuries after causing a four-car pileup in Epping was drug driving on a disqualified Learner’s permit.
Steven Krestevski fronted the Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, November 5, pleading guilty to an “enormous” number of crimes committed from June to August.
The 23-year-old was driving a stolen Mercedes when he slammed into a car stopped at an Epping intersection, which caused a four-car pileup that left another driver hospitalised, about 2.15pm on August 12.
Krestevski, who was on ice and had a disqualified Learner driver’s licence, then ran from the scene leaving a huge amount of drugs and stolen goods behind.
Police found stolen clothes, tools and homewares, and 30ml of GHB in the car.
Leading up to the crash Krestevski and a co-offender had used a jimmy bar to break into a Kew house.
The pair then ransacked the property and stole the resident’s car.
On June 5, Krestevski arrived at the Chadstone shopping centre car park in a car with stolen number plates, before he broke into an Audi stealing designer sunglasses, a handbag and other items worth $1850.
He then broke into another car and the owner came out to find Krestevski’s legs flailing out the passenger window as the thief rifled around.
On June 12, Krestevski was one of three men filmed by a friend doing burnouts in stolen cars in a busy Thomastown intersection.
The court heard the footage showed other cars stopped in the intersection, unable to see because of smoke caused by the burnouts.
The following day Krestevski again disrupted traffic when he passed out behind the wheel in the middle of the road while driving in Epping just before 1pm.
Police arrived and turned his car off before Krestevski woke up and sped off.
Krestevski also pleaded guilty to multiple other theft charges.
The court heard the Epping man had 36 prior convictions for vehicle thefts.
Magistrate Denise Livingstone said Krestevski had committed an “enormous amount of offending” since he was last in jail.
Lawyer Kate Shanahan urged for Krestevski to be released from custody as soon as possible so he could go to residential rehabilitation for his drug issues.
Ms Livingstone said she was prioritising his rehabilitation in sentencing him to only five months jail, with his crimes warranting more like a year, and 85 days having already been served.
Krestevski was also placed on a 12 month community corrections order and fined $1000.
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