Rockie Russo: Boronia carjacking lands drug addict in jail after Heathmont arrest

A paunchy crook with a serious ice addiction has been jailed after a Boronia carjacking. But it’s what happened after the theft a judge has called “breathtaking”.

Rockie Russo has been jailed after he stole a Nissan Skyline and fled from police. Generic photo

A “fat” drug addict who took part in a Boronia carjacking before leading police on a dangerous chase throughout the east has been jailed for four years.

Rockie Russo, 30, whose drug addiction started when he was only 10 years old, pleaded guilty to carjacking, conduct endangering life and failing to stop on police request at the County Court.

According to court documents, Russo and a co-offender, who is yet to be identified, approached the victim and demanded the man’s Nissan Skyline keys on May 11, 2020.

The man handed over his car keys after Russo’s co-offender assaulted the victim.

In his sentencing on November 26, Judge Howard Mason said Russo, described in documents as a “fat guy” dressed in a black hoodie, made off with the Skyline before leading police on a 10-minute chase.

The police helicopter and multiple patrol units kept tabs on Russo as he sped down Mountain Highway and Canterbury Rd — getting to speeds of 146km/h and 164km/h in 60km/h and 80km/h zones.

He dumped the Skyline in Aumann St, Heathmont before fleeing, jumping fences and eventually hiding in some bushes on Canterbury Rd where he was arrested.

Judge Mason said the nature of Russo’s driving was a serious form of criminal conduct by exposing members of the public to the danger of death.

“The speeds at which you drove the vehicle through a highly populated area over a period of approximately 10 minutes were so excessive that police were unable to maintain contact with you,” he said.

“The fact that you drove at an extremely high speed through a red-light intersection is breathtaking in contemplating the potential loss of life or lives through collision.”

Judge Mason said when interviewed by police, Russo lied about “matters of significance”.

“I am sceptical of, and unconvinced by your instructions to counsel that you only participated in the carjacking under threat from your co-accused of being hit with a hammer,” Judge Mason said.

“In light of the serious objective falsehoods otherwise contained your interview with the police, I regard your evidence as unreliable and motivated by desire to simply minimise your role.”

He said Russo’s ice addiction dominated his life and destroyed relationships and compromised his work performance.

“You developed an extensive history of substance abuse from the age of 10,” Judge Mason said.

Judge Mason sentenced Russo to four years in prison, to serve a non-parole period of three years – 199 days already served.

As part of his punishment Russo’s driver’s licence was cancelled and he was banned from obtaining another for two years.