Frankston dirt bike rider Frederick Edwards led police on wild southeast chopper chase
A Frankston man who had never held a licence jumped on an unregistered dirt bike to “clear his head”. But he ended up in an hour-long pursuit, taunting cops to keep chasing him.
South East
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A GHB-loving dirt-bike rider who taunted police on a crazy chase through the south eastern suburbs has been jailed for five months.
In an hour-long pursuit Frederick Edwards sped through red lights, rode on the wrong side of the road and swerved between oncoming cars before eventually being nabbed in a backyard.
The Frankston man has never held a licence, the bike had no plates or rego and he was serving two community corrections orders at the time for similar chases.
Edwards pleaded guilty to charges including reckless conduct endangering serious injury and dangerous driving while being pursued by police at the online Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The court heard about 10.30am on September 24 this year a police patrol saw a dirt bike with no plates riding along Dandenong-Hastings Rd in Somerville.
As they took up a position behind the bike Edwards raced off on the wrong side of the road, looking over his shoulder and teasing police to follow him.
The air wing was called in to track him as he sped at speeds of more than 100km/h through Cranbourne, Carrum Downs and Frankston.
At 11.30am he was seen pulling up at an Ashleigh Ave, Frankston, property and K9 cops were sent in.
As well as the bike, officers found a bag with $150 cash and a 50ml bottle of GHB inside.
He was arrested and interviewed, admitting the drugs and money were his and “apologising” for his dangerous riding.
His defence lawyer said on that day Edwards and his sister had received some sad news and he had gone for a ride “to clear his head”.
He said he had mental health issues that had been exasperated by drug use.
He said he was co-operative with police when arrested and accepted he will be spending more time in prison.
Magistrate Julian Ayres said Edwards wasn’t long into a community corrections order given for another police pursuit when this occurred.
“On this occasion it was a motorbike, but you still put the community at risk,” Mr Ayres said.
“Thankfully no one was injured, clearly there was potential for that.”
He said Edwards had been a recidivist offender during the past six years, spending a total of around 15 months in jail and most of that time on a court order of some description.
“You need to stay drug-free, you can’t go anywhere near a car or a bike, and you need counselling and psychological assistance,” he said.
Edwards was jailed for five months, minus 56 days he has already served on remand.
He was also disqualified from applying for a driving licence for two years.
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