By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Narre Warren South man has been refused bail after being accused of nearly running over a pedestrian in a Cranbourne hotel car park at high speed while evading police.
After his arrest, Michael Shane Hawkins allegedly called a police officer a “f***ing c**khead” at the end of an allegedly non-remorseful interview, Dandenong Magistrates’ Court heard.
“You have such an appalling attitude,” said magistrate Jack Vandersteen, who noted Hawkins’ bail had been extended by a court six days before the “very dangerous” incident.
Police in an unmarked car had tried to intercept the disqualified Hawkins in an unregistered Club Sport Holden in the Settlement Hotel car park about 11.45am on 28 February, the court was told.
Instead of obeying police directions, Hawkins allegedly reversed the vehicle from a parking bay at speed and rapidly accelerated away from the officers.
The vehicle allegedly missed a pedestrian narrowly as it sped out of the driveway and – without stopping – pulled out across four lanes of South Gippsland Highway lunch-hour traffic.
The sedan mounted the highway’s median strip as Hawkins escaped.
Six days before the incident, Hawkins had been bailed on eight charges of burglary, theft and handling stolen goods.
He had already been on bail and a community corrections order with judicial monitoring.
Sgt Delaney said Hawkins had an extensive criminal history including drugs, offensive weapons, trafficking meth and drug-driving.
In applying for bail, defence lawyer Adrian Dessi said Hawkins was relatively young, had never been previously imprisoned and had no priors for dangerous driving or driving unlicensed.
Mr Dessi argued Hawkins was seeking treatment for his bi-polar “impulsivity”, had attended corrections-order appointments and had not broken his night curfew.
A close relative told the court he could disable the Club Sport vehicle to stop Hawkins driving it.
He said that Hawkins was “a kid trying to get his life where it should be” but had been damaged by past ice use.
“That’s a battle. We can see he’s trying to get on top of these things and get them behind him.
“You’re not your own person when you’re on that stuff.”
The relative said Hawkins was a hard-worker but since police confiscated all his tools – including allegedly stolen ones – he didn’t have the means to repay his debts.
“What’s probably happened is he’s got the gambling bug heavily because he doesn’t have the money and the ability to repay money any more.
“He’s probably the hardest worker I’ve ever met. He doesn’t stop for lunch.”
Mr Vandersteen said Hawkins’ alleged offending had escalated into burglaries and dangerous driving since being put on a corrections order in October.
He said Hawkins had “never properly committed” to a court order since his first corrections order in 2012.
“Most of what you need is already in place and you continue to re-offend.
“You were not to drive a motor vehicle, and your driving is at the high-end of a reckless conduct charge.”
Mr Vandersteen said Hawkins was a danger to the public if released, and had failed to show cause for bail.
The accused was remanded to appear at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 27 March.
