Joshua Juan Dodd pleads guilty to 33 charges, including fleeing car crash scenes

A drug addict who fled the scene of two serious car crashes he caused this year has been branded a “severe danger to the community”, a court has heard.

Joshua Juan Dodd fronted court. Picture: Alan Barber

A drug addict with a 28-page rap sheet fled the scene of two serious car crashes in as many months, including one that left a man in a wheelchair for months.

Joshua Juan Dodd, who also goes by Joshua Howe, appeared in Geelong Magistrates Court on Friday via videolink, and pleaded guilty to 33 charges including unlawful assault, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, retention of stolen goods and six counts of driving while disqualified.

The charges, which date back to 2021, also included intentionally damaging property, giving a false name, speeding, multiple counts of possessing a firearm or firearm related items, failing to report multiple accidents, making a threat to kill, theft of a motor vehicle, failing to render assistance, driving a car without plates and two counts of careless driving.

He was also charged with unlicensed driving, two counts of driving an unregistered vehicle, dealing with property suspected to be the proceeds of crime, possession of ice, cannabis and ecstasy, and numerous bail offences.

On February 20, Dodd was driving a car with fake plates when he crossed onto the wrong side of Bannockburn-Shelford Rd and collided head-on with another car.

The other driver was left in a wheelchair for three months, the court heard, and remains on crutches after suffering fractures to his foot and leg and eight broken ribs, among other injuries.

Dodd fled the scene.

The injured man read out a victim impact statement in court, describing the impact the car crash had on his life.

“It’s just been significant for me, the pain, pain, pain that I’ve gone through,” he said.

A month later, the court heard Dodd was driving a stolen car west on Gnarwarre Rd when he again crossed onto the wrong side of the road and collided head on.

Both cars received extensive damage and the woman driving the other car was initially trapped, and later taken to hospital.

Dodd again fled the scene, but not before threatening a witness who tried to stop him leaving.

“I have a gun, I’ll shoot you... f--k off, I’ll kill you,” the court heard Dodd said.

A bag he dropped near the scene was found to contain an air rifle.

A prosecutor told the court Dodd had a “long, sustained history of drug use and abuse” and was a “severe danger to the community”.

Dodd’s lawyer, Ian Pugh, told the court his client was “incredibly sorry for the harm that he’s caused”.

The court heard a psychological report found Dodd had issues concerning grief and loss, and was self-medicating with drugs.

Mr Pugh told the court Dodd was fortunate he had not killed anyone.

“Not only the drug use has put himself in danger, also it’s put members of the community in danger as well,” Mr Pugh said.

“We all use the roads... we expect to be able to use them and not be in danger.”

Dodd will return to court on August 26.

Originally published as Joshua Juan Dodd pleads guilty to 33 charges, including fleeing car crash scenes