Dean Wilson: Cranbourne hoon blames break-up for burnouts, cop chase
A burnout boy who can’t control his car – or his emotions - says it wasn’t his fault he taunted cops and led them on a wild chase.
South East
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A jilted lover led police on a pursuit after mocking them with burnouts because he says he was frustrated after splitting up with his partner and mother of their child.
Dean Wilson was told he’s extremely lucky to have not seriously hurt someone - or himself - with his wild, crazy and reckless driving.
The 30-year-old Cranbourne North factory worker pleaded guilty to failing to stop, evading police, dangerous driving and cannabis possession charges at the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
The court heard at around 9pm on July 20 last year several witnesses called police to report an erratic driver doing burnouts in Glasscocks Rd in Narre Warren South.
The car, which had distinctive personalised plates and being driven by Wilson, then clipped a parked car.
Police arrived on the scene but that didn’t deter him, and he continued to do donuts around a roundabout before speeding off.
Cops followed for a while but gave up the chase as it was deemed too dangerous.
Then an off-duty officer happened to see the car a few minutes later racing through red lights.
He called in the rego and more police caught up with Wilson, who did yet more burnouts before again racing away again and disappearing into the night.
In the early hours of the next morning police raided his home, finding the damaged car in his driveway as well as cannabis inside the house.
When Wilson was interviewed he admitted doing burnouts and that he knew police wanted to pull him over, but said he didn’t remember going through red lights or speeding.
His defence lawyer said he had broken up with his partner of eight years and “not taken it well”, and accepted he had been an extreme danger to the public and himself.
He said Wilson, a father of a six-year-old boy, recognises he needs to manage his emotions better and had made arrangements to get lifts to his workplace in Dandenong as he knows he is facing a long ban.
Magistrate Julie O’Donnell said whatever was going on in his personal life it didn’t justify the significant risk he posed that night.
“This is incredibly serious offending,” Ms O’Donnell said.
“It is offending that put everybody in danger.”
She said she was contemplating a jail sentence and sent him for a community corrections order assessment.
Wilson will return to court at a later date.
