Andrew William Taylor, 34, arrested for alleged Flinders Street burnout and La Vida threat
Police allege a bricklayer tore down a Townsville street, screaming that he was going to drive into a nightclub and kill those inside.
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A convicted dangerous driver who allegedly did a burnout and threatened to kill staff at a nightclub has applied for bail.
Andrew William Taylor appeared in Townsville Magistrates Court via video link from the watch house on Friday morning after he handed himself into police for allegedly dangerously driving down Flinders Street.
His lawyer, Andrew Peel from Purcell Taylor Lawyers, said his client knew police were looking for him under the guise of a “welfare check” but believed it was for the most recent driving charge.
The 34-year-old has been charged with dangerously operating a vehicle.
No pleas have been entered.
At 10.45pm on Tuesday the man drove down the nightclub strip and allegedly did a burnout that lasted for 21 seconds, according to police prosecutor Gooch Lee who opposed bail.
He told the court Mr Taylor yelled out his window directed at staff from La Vida nightclub and said, “I’m going to drive through your venue and kill you all”.
“The actions of the defendant on that occasion shows a distinct lack of concern for the safety of the public as they are enjoying their night out,” the prosecutor said, alleging the burnout resulted in Mr Taylors car ending up on the wrong side of the road.
“His behaviour on the road caused a significant risk to the community at large, he shows little regard for the safety of others.”
The court heard Mr Taylor was currently on parole for drug charges where he was sentenced to nine years.
It was also told he had prior convictions of driving dangerously.
Mr Peel said his client, a father of two, hadn’t committed further crimes until recently and was a self-employed demolition worker as well as a brick lawyer and scaffolder.
He suggested a curfew be put in place should his client be granted bail.
Magistrate Steven Mosch said, “of all locations to do it, in a nightclub precinct, he’s a clown”.
“It’s perhaps more by good luck than good management there wasn’t a disastrous outcome,” he said.
“You expressed venom towards a particular nightclub and threatened to drive through it, but didn’t act upon it.”
Mr Mosch said he believed the man’s likelihood of reoffending could be mitigated by conditions like not going in the Townsville nightclub precinct between the hours of 6:30pm and 5:30am and not driving a car between those same hours.
Mr Taylor was granted bail, and his charge was adjourned to July 9.
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Originally published as Andrew William Taylor, 34, arrested for alleged Flinders Street burnout and La Vida threat
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