Isaac Cowley: Drug-dealing driver led cops on wrong way chase
An ‘out of control’ ice-addled driver who outran cops by turning his lights off was easy to catch after he later fell asleep in his car.
South East
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A dangerous dodgy-driving drug dealer who led cops on a dark chase down the wrong side of the road at night with no headlights on is facing a long stint behind bars.
After the police pursuit Isaac Jon Cowley was later found sleeping in the car with ice, thousands in cash, a knife and stolen bank cards stuffed in his bumbag.
Another time he was uncovered hiding in the back seat of his girlfriend’s car with a large hunting knife and a key belonging to a stolen ute parked just a few metres away.
The Cranbourne 22-year-old unemployed labourer pleaded guilty to a series of driving, theft and drug-related charges at the Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The court heard at around 10pm on April 26 this year police officers were patrolling near a Dandenong North car wash when they noticed a suspicious Ford Fiesta.
They went to the side window and saw Cowley in the driver’s seat, who was known by the officers to be unlicensed at the time.
He then quickly reversed out of the car wash, turned off his lights and raced along Heatherton Rd towards oncoming traffic.
Police followed, but Cowley ducked down a side street and was gone.
He was on bail at the time on conditions including he couldn’t drive.
Then on May 2 at around 5am cops saw the same Ford Fiesta parked in the driveway of a property in Dandenong North.
They saw Cowley asleep in the driver’s seat and woke him up.
He became aggressive and lashed out, resisting arrest until he was capsicum sprayed, which calmed him down pretty quickly.
In his bumbag there was ice, a knife, bank cards that had been stolen and $1460 in cash that had come from dealing drugs.
And in September last year he was found hiding in the back of his partner’s Holden Commodore armed with a hunting knife.
In his pocket was a key to a stolen Mitsubishi ute that was parked nearby, and inside that vehicle was a bag of keys belonging to other stolen cars.
His defence lawyer said over the past 18 months Cowley’s drug use “was out of control” and he turned to dealing to fund his own supply.
She said her client had recently been living a transient lifestyle while struggling to cope with the devastating passing of his grandmother in New Zealand.
She said the 32 days he had already spent on remand was the first time he has been in custody and that experience had had a salutatory effect on him.
Magistrate Andrew Halse said Cowley made a choice to use and deal meth, and his driving put the safety of the police and the wider community at risk of serious harm.
“I will have him assessed (for a corrections order), but I can indicate it will be part of a combination (jail) sentence,” Mr Halse said.
“I don’t think he has done anywhere near enough time in custody.
“How much more I’m yet to determine.”
Cowley was remanded and will be sentenced on June 18.
