Serial thief Luke Harrison stole petrol and cars before almost running down police officer
A 21-year-old Moe man narrowly missed a police officer with his car during an attempt to avoid arrest on the Mornington Peninsula. But his luck ran out after he left his co-accused behind while making his getaway.
South East
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A police officer is lucky to be alive after a serial thief nearly ran him down during a desperate attempt to avoid arrest at Hastings, a court has heard.
But Luke Harrison’s luck ran out when his co-accused spilt his friend’s identification details after he was left behind as Harrison made his getaway at Coles Express petrol station.
The Dandenong Magistrates’ Court heard officers saw Harrison driving the stolen Nissan Qashqai in Hastings on May 5 after it was taken from a Botanic Ridge house on April 14 while the owners were asleep.
But when officers approached Harrison as he waited for his friend to exit the servo, he sped off at a dangerous speed, narrowly missing a senior constable, leaving his friend behind,
The court heard the near-miss preceded the Moe 21-year-old’s crime spree from Dandenong to Hastings, where he broke into two factories as well as pinching several cars and petrol.
Harrison and three co-accused broke through the fence at a fabrications factory in Dandenong during the early hours of May 10 before taking $6000 worth of tools from unlocked trucks including a grinder, welder, nailgun and powersaw.
The group then moved onto G & R Maintenance truck repairs where they cut the cyclone fence before rummaging through the factory’s office and nicking two cars and toolboxes.
But the burglary wasn’t well thought through — the stolen cars had G & R Maintenance signage on the bonnet and doors, and were caught on CCTV as the drivers pinched petrol at Caltex Cranbourne North and Coles Express Cranbourne.
Police caught up with the group at Cranbourne Motor Inn about 1.45pm, with Harrison confirming his identity in petrol station CCTV footage ina police an interview two weeks later.
Magistrate Tony Burns heard Harrison also stole plates from a car parked at Endeavour Hills on April 7, as well as taking off without paying for petrol in Skye on April 14 and keeping a lookout for his co-accused as he rummaged through a Mazda parked at Tyabb on May 3.
Harrison pleaded guilty to offences including theft of motor vehicle, cause criminal damage and aggravated burglary.
His lawyer said her client — who suffered an acquired brain injury after he was involved in two car accidents in 2016 and 2017 — struggled with drug use due to his “traumatic” childhood but was motivated to “get clean” and enter rehabilitation.
Harrison, who has spent 48 days in custody, will be assessed for a community corrections order before he is sentenced via video link on Wednesday.
brittany.goldsmith@news.com.au
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