Cop pleads not guilty to moped chase

A POLICE officer alleged to have driven dangerously in pursuit of two men on a moped had come across them patrolling for hoons near Pizzey Park.

Sergeant Peter Andrew Venz pleaded not guilty in the Southport Magistrates Court on Tuesday to dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

It is alleged Venz was on a police trail bike when he started the pursuit on Oceanic Drive, Mermaid Waters at 4pm on June 9 last year. He allegedly drove dangerously in pursuit of the moped which refused to stop. The chase took 12 minutes.

The court was told on Tuesday, Venz was sent to Pizzey Park after reports of people on a motorbike. He was on his way from Broadbeach station to Covid duties at the airport.

He came across the moped pair at Sunshine Blvd, Mermaid Waters and gave chase.

Audio of police radio played to the court captured an officer saying at the start of it: “These are the guys who’ve been terrorising the neighbourhood”.

Body camera footage of the pursuit by Venz was played to the court and showed him following two men on a moped.

Venz loses the moped and gives up the pursuit. The footage showed the moped and bike in the bicycle lane on Sunshine Blvd, Mermaid Waters going against traffic.

At one point it passes a Surfside bus heading directed towards them. The driver Dragan Damjanovic told the court he had seven or eight passengers on board at the time.

Southport police officer-incharge Senior Sergeant Christopher Smith told the court at one point the distance between the gutter and white line on Sunshine Blvd was just 90cm.

The pursuit went across the southern Gold Coast including Markeri St, Hedges Ave and Albatross Ave. It finishes near Tallebudgera Tourist Park.

At different points, footage appears to show the moped and Venz going the wrong way down a one way street, crossing a raised traffic island and driving on a footpath near the Burleigh National Park. The trial continues on Thursday.