Man found hiding under house after fleeing from police chase
A man found hiding on a stranger’s property after fleeing from a stolen car has been sprayed by a magistrate for targeting innocent members of the Gold Coast community.
Michael Scott Graham Dummett was being tracked by police crews and Polair as he drove a stolen Mitsubishi sedan with false number plates through the city’s north on November 7.
Southport Magistrates Court was told spikes on Oxley Drive at Paradise Point brought the stolen car to a halt, but Dummett quickly got out and fled on foot.
Prosecutor Aylish Robertson said the 41-year-old was soon found hiding underneath a Hope Island home.
Footage captured at the time showed a barefoot and handcuffed Dummett being led away from the scene by police.
Ms Robertson said Dummett was caught with a swag of suspected stolen IDs – including licences, Medicare cards, and a New Zealand passport – and had previously targeted Bunnings in two separate thefts, stealing items worth more than $2000 in total.
She told the court it was the latest in a “continued and prolific” history of similar offending.
Defence lawyer Maddison Abela, of Gatenby Criminal Lawyers, said the former truck driver struggled with a longstanding methamphetamine addiction and recently fell into a “transient lifestyle”. Ms Abela said Dummett had already completed one drug rehabilitation program and joined the waitlist for another, as he wanted to support his 20year-old son upon his release from jail.
Magistrate Nerida Wilson slammed Dummett’s latest spree, saying he was at an “absolute fork in the road”.
“The community are sick of it – they are sick and tired of having their property stolen, used for crime, trashed … there is complete and utter uproar,” Ms Wilson said.
“If your son was doing exactly the same thing, you would no doubt be giving him a kick up the butt. Think about that.”
Dummett pleaded guilty to 27 charges including obstructing police, possessing suspected stolen property, and disqualified driving.
He was sentenced to 15 months’ jail with parole eligibility from April 10, and disqualified from driving for four years.