Reckless Pakenham mother fronts Ringwood court after two high speed police chases and drug offences
A Pakenham mother, who was involved in two dangerous high-speed police chases in the height of lockdown, has been hauled in front of court to answer for her dangerous behaviour.
South East
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A young Pakenham mother has faced the consequences of her reckless past, involving two dramatic high speed car chases with police and using drugs.
Shanae Andrews, 24, appeared before the Ringwood Magistrates’ Court on Monday where pleaded guilty to drug and driving charges.
Andrews, who was 21 at the time of her offending and had a suspended learner’s permit, was driving her dad’s car with three mates onboard in The Basin at 1.20am on April 17, 2020 when police attempted to intercept the vehicle.
The court was told Andrews accelerated rapidly, and drove on the wrong side of the road to evade police before
abandoning the car in a Boronia driveway.
Police officers found one of the passengers nearby, before locating Andrews who was crouching in the bushes near the car.
Inside the vehicle police discovered Andrew’s phone and handbag as well as two small vials of GHB.
Andrews, who was also breaching the Covid curfew at the time, told detectives she was feeling unwell and was going to pick up ventolin from a friend’s house.
She later changed her story and said she was on the way to hospital because she had Covid before admitting evading police was “stupid”.
“My driving was bad,” she said.
This was the second police chase Andrews was involved in.
On March 18, 2020, the court heard Andrews was picked up by a friend in a stolen Toyota HiLux.
She watched her friend change the number plates on the ute and then got into his passenger seat.
Throughout the drive Andrews said the friend’s phone was continually receiving text messages urging him to return the stolen car.
In the early hours of March 19, police observed the stolen ute driving along the EastLink at 140km/h in the emergency lane.
The car exited the EastLink on the wrong side of the road before Andrews and the driver then fled the car and ran.
Police located Andrews hiding in a bush.
They also found two small bags of meth in the car.
Andrews told the court, since this offending she has turned her life around and the birth of her child gave her “purpose.”
Magistrate Jason Ong said her behaviour caused him “great concern.”
“You put yourself, your passengers and the community at risk,” Mr Ong said.
“However, it is very clear you have turned your life around.
“You are not the person you were four years ago.”
Mr Ong sentenced Andrews to a 12 month good behaviour bond and ordered her to make a $650 donation to the court fund.
She also lost her license for 12 months.
