Ricky Dean Terbutt used stolen car as weapon to ram police in wild chase
A man rammed police twice in a stolen SUV before reaching speeds of 170km/h during a wild pursuit, in which he crossed to the wrong side of the road to overtake several cars.
It was only sheer luck Ricky Dean Terbutt didn’t seriously injure police or other motorists after leading officers on a wild chase in a stolen SUV, a court has heard.
The 44-year-old from Springfield faced Gosford Local Court on Thursday where he pleaded guilty to eight charges including larceny, intentionally damaging property, driving a stolen car, using it as a weapon to avoid arrest and failing to stop during a police pursuit.
An agreed set of facts states a red Mitsubishi ASX was reported stolen from a house at Swan Bay, near Port Stephens, on July 8, during an aggravated break and enter.
About 3pm on July 12 Terbutt and an unidentified man broke into the tray of an Isuzu Dmax at Mooney Mooney and stole about $5000-$6000 worth of power tools including a hammer drill, impact driver, circular saw, blower, angle grinder and jack hammer.
Later that night - about 11pm - a man was fishing at Mooney Creek when Terbutt and his accomplice smashed the window of his Volkswagen Transporter and stole a black Under Armour bag containing about $600 worth of gym gear.
The victim confronted the pair but they sped off in the stolen ASX.
About 30 minutes later police saw the red Mitsubishi speeding along Henry Parry Drive at Gosford and attempted to pull it over before commencing a pursuit.
Terbutt hit speeds of 110km/h on Wells St as his co-offender threw a radio out of the passenger window, which struck the front of the police car.
Terbutt was clocked travelling 150km/h down Wells St at Springfield before he turned onto Match Rd where he stopped in the middle of the road.
“Police have stopped behind the vehicle where it has reversed directly into the front of the police vehicle causing significant damage,” the facts state.
“Police attempted to avoid the collision by reversing the police car although this was not successful.”
Terbutt turned into Willoughby Rd and again stopped but this time the police pulled up to one side.
Terbutt tried again to reverse into the police car but drove past it before driving forward and “directly into the side of the police vehicle, causing further damage to the passenger front wheel”.
Terbutt then turned onto Terrigal Drive and overtook several cars on the wrong side as he was clocked at speeds of 170kmh in a 60km/h zone.
He eventually stopped in Karwin Ave, Erina, where his passenger fled into bushland and Terbutt was arrested.
A search of the stolen Mitsubishi ASX recovered the stolen power tools and gym bag.
“The actions of the accused in the matter placed multiple police in grave danger, it is only by chance that no police were seriously injured as a result of the actions of the accused,” the facts state.
He was adjourned for sentence on January 15.
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Originally published as Ricky Dean Terbutt used stolen car as weapon to ram police in wild chase
