Thornbury’s Defrim Fezollari in Reservoir police chase
A man has allegedly forced others off the road while doing double the speed limit in Reservoir, just months after he allegedly tried to ram police. But he has told a court he is the victim and it’s “corruption”.
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Police were forced to draw their guns on a man who allegedly forced others off the road while doing double the speed limit, months after he tried to ram police.
Defrim Fezollari was found with up to 15 grams of methamphetamine in his car and 40 grams of cannabis in his undies.
But the unemployed father-of-three insisted he was the victim as his lawyer tried to have him granted bail at Heidelberg Magistrates’ Court.
The court heard he was facing charges including reckless conduct endangering life, reckless conduct endangering serious injury and recklessly exposing an emergency service worker.
The Thornbury man was arrested on May 9 after he allegedly fled when police tried to stop him in Reservoir about 12.36am.
Constable Emma Wilson said he sped along Strathmerton St reaching speeds of 100km/h, overtaking four vehicles, which forced their drivers to swerve left or almost stop to avoid colliding with him.
The police helicopter located him shortly after in Orange Ave, where he allegedly ditched his black Audi and ran, before police caught up with him on foot.
The court heard he was on bail, having been arrested on August 17.
Constable Wilson said as patrolling police were about to drive past Fezollari’s parked Audi on Malta Ave, Ivanhoe about 1.49am, he took off erratically, narrowly missing the police car.
Police then found the car parked in Toohey Court, Bellfield, minutes later.
When police tried to intercept him, Fezollari allegedly erratically performed a U-turn and tried to drive at the police car several times before he unsuccessfully tried to get away.
Officers got out of their car with their firearms drawn, arresting Fezollari and his passenger.
The court heard between 10-15 grams of methamphetamine was found spread around the passenger seat of his car, including on the door rail and the floor.
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Another gram of methamphetamine was allegedly found in a bag in the car and 40 grams of cannabis was allegedly discovered down the front of Fezollari’s underpants.
Fezollari’s lawyer said he was challenging all the May charges, and most of the August charges, when he applied for bail on Wednesday June 24.
Fezollari himself insisted to Magistrate Meagan Keogh he hadn’t “done nothing wrong”.
“I’m not going to lie to the court,” he said.
“Trust me, your Honour.
“It’s all corruption.”
Ms Keogh refused to grant bail to Fezollari, who had already spent 47 days in jail, saying he posed a risk, which couldn’t be satisfied by suggested bail conditions, and didn’t have an exceptional reason why he should be released.