Vasilios Dalios: Keysborough driver blames movies for COVID cop chase
A film fan nabbed busting curfew and leading cops on a late night chase through Mordialloc had a novel excuse for his crime.
South East
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A COVID-19 curfew-busting driver says he sped off from police because he “had seen too many movies” and thought they were fake cops.
Vasilios Dalios was seen by officers in an unmarked car in the early hours of the morning more than 5km from his home without a valid reason.
When officers turned on their red and blue lights instead of stopping and accepting a fine Dalios quickly raced off.
The 43-year-old from Keysborough pleaded guilty to failing to stop on police direction, driving offences and a Chief Health Officer pandemic breach.
The court heard at 1am on August 14 last year officers in an unmarked police car watched Dalios drive his Toyota Corolla into the Mordialloc Life Saving Club carpark.
They followed him but when he realised they were behind he did a three-point and drove out onto Beach Rd and turned into Centreway.
He then drove into a service lane, did an illegal right turn and sped off.
Police called off the chase but a short while later other officers found him at a servo in Braeside.
Dalios told them he was a nightshift worker and did have a work permit but had “dropped it” somewhere and was only out beyond curfew to get petrol.
He said he noticed the unmarked cop car behind him and did see their red and blue lights but became paranoid.
He said he “took off as they were chasing me” and didn’t pull over as he was “running scared” and had “seen too many movies”.
His defence lawyer said her client had longstanding diagnosed mental health concerns and at the time had been off his medication.
She said on this occasion he was “out of control”, but now he was being treated and medicated again.
Dalios, a disability support pensioner, told the court he was ashamed of what he did last year.
His only prior court appearance resulted in him being given a bond in 2018.
Magistrate Gregory Connellan said for someone who had battled mental health issues for around 20 years to have only been in trouble twice was commendable.
“To his credit he had managed his illness for 17, 18 years without coming into contact with the criminal justice system,” Mr Connellan said.
“Clearly circumstances around his mental health condition arose on this day.”
Dalios was placed on an eight-month good behaviour bond.
