Shannon Dunford and Wade Websdale face court for alleged burglary of liquor store

Two men allegedly behind the theft of a Portarlington liquor store led police on a high-speed chase through local streets.

Shannon Dunford allegedly drove 200km/h through quiet, local streets after he and three other men turned over a Portarlington bottle shop. Picture: Supplied.

Two men who allegedly led police on a 40-minute high-speed chase in a car loaded with stolen alcohol and cigarettes have faced court.

Portland man Shannon Dunford, 36, and Thomson man Wade Websdale, 30, appeared in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Friday following an alleged incident at a Portarlington bottle shop.

Mr Dunford, who was charged with burglary, theft and dangerous driving while being pursued by police, made an application for bail but was refused and remanded into custody until mid-March.

Mr Websdale, who is facing similar charges, did not make an application and will return to court in early March.

The court heard Mr Dunford, Mr Websdale and two unknown, male offenders allegedly parked a stolen car on the street in front of the Cellarbrations bottle shop in Portarlington at 12.52am on Friday.

Mr Websdale allegedly forced the door of the shop open with a jimmy bar and helped the two unknown men move what police claimed were large amounts of alcohol and cigarettes into the car.

Mr Dunford was allegedly waiting in the driver’s seat.

Following a triple-0 call 10 minutes after police said they arrived, the three men allegedly got back into the car and sped off.

Shannon Dunford, Wade Websdale and two unknown men allegedly stole large amounts of cigarettes and alcohol from the Cellarbrations store in Portarlington. Picture: Google Maps.

An Air Wing followed them as Mr Dunford allegedly reached speeds of 200km/h through suburban streets in Grovedale and Belmont.

At 1.44am, Mr Dunford allegedly stopped the car at the Waurn Ponds Creek and all four men left and fled the scene on foot.

Police claimed they found stolen registration plates, cigarettes, bottles of whiskey, the jimmy bar and a drill inside the car.

Following Mr Dunford’s arrest, he underwent an oral fluid test that police alleged returned a positive reading.

The results have been sent off for analysis.

Mr Dunford’s defence lawyer, Matilda Jones, asked the court to bail him to a home he shares with his partner and one-year-old child.

When Ms Jones asked Magistrate John Bentley to impose a condition on Mr Dunford not to drive to reduce the risk to the community, Mr Bentley said it was “not going to work”.

Mr Bentley said Mr Dunford has an “appalling” driving history and has become a “menace to the road”.

“For someone your age, I haven’t seen anything like that before.

“It’s a miracle no one was seriously injured,” Mr Bentley said.

Originally published as Shannon Dunford and Wade Websdale face court for alleged burglary of liquor store