By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Two men’s alleged “death-defying” 200 km/h-plus drive in a stolen Hyundai SUV at times on the wrong side of busy highways in the South East has been shown in video footage at a Melbourne court.
William Dowell, 20, of Carrum Downs, and Jordan Jenkins, 19, were tracked by police Air Wing for about an hour on Mordialloc Freeway, and Thompsons, Frankston-Dandenong and Skye roads in the late morning of 4 April, a Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court bail hearing was told on 6 April.
Mr Jenkins’ alleged driving – described by magistrate Luisa Bazzani as “death-defying” – included travelling the wrong way down an on-ramp about 10.30am.
The SUV hurtled down highway emergency lanes at speeds of up to 180km/h alongside oncoming traffic, according to police.
On occasion, the SUV crossed in front of oncoming traffic to exit onto another major road.
Footage also showed the SUV weaving between cars while on the correct side of the road, running two red lights and cutting a corner onto a pedestrian area.
Police allege the pair abandoned the vehicle in an underground car park at Cranbourne Park shopping centre, where they were picked up by Mr Jenkins’ friend in a Mazda 3.
They were soon after found by police in a roof cavity at the friend’s house in Cranbourne, Detective Senior Constable Danny Trigger of Monash CIU told the court.
Earlier on the day of their arrest, Mr Jenkins allegedly burgled two homes in Mt Waverley and Oakleigh.
In Mt Waverley, Mr Jenkins allegedly fled after confronting a 17-year-old girl who was home alone, police said.
At Oakleigh, police said, a resident returned home to find Mr Jenkins with the resident’s property in hand. He chased and punched Mr Jenkins several times in the face.
Mr Dowell was alleged to have waved and lunged at the man with a meat cleaver before the co-accuseds fled in the SUV.
Det Sen Cons Trigger said the grey Hyundai Santa Fe had been stolen from a Cheltenham home about 11.50pm on Saturday 2 April.
Police were also investigating the same vehicle’s involvement in aggravated burglaries and thefts in Hawthorn East after that time, the court heard.
Mr Dowell was charged with car theft, two burglaries, theft and committing an indictable offence on bail.
He’d told police that he couldn’t remember anything from 6am to his arrest that day after taking Xanax and methamphetamines.
Magistrate Bazzani refused him bail, noting that he’d been bailed on a night curfew by Frankston police less than a week earlier.
He’d also previously breached other court orders – a community corrections order and intervention order, Ms Bazzani said.
Although Mr Dowell was reportedly the passenger in the SUV, the alleged offending was of the “highest gravity”. He was an unacceptable risk to the community if released on bail, Ms Bazzani said.
Mr Dowell was remanded to appear at Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court on 28 April.
The co-accused Mr Jenkins did not seek bail in a brief hearing on 5 April.
He faced charges including car theft, two burglaries, reckless conduct endangering life, dangerous driving whilst pursued by police, disqualified driving, and two counts of crossing red lights.
Mr Jenkins told the court that he was withdrawing from Xanax, GHB and methylamphetamine.
He was remanded in custody to appear in court on 13 April.
