By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Noble Park teenage dad has “dodged a bullet” after driving his car at a police officer and narrowly missing them by inches.
Bailey Hopkins, 19, pleaded guilty at Victorian County Court to a string of charges including intentionally exposing an emergency worker to risk by driving and threatening to assault police.
An “aggressive” Hopkins became “incensed” when police arrived at his home to arrest his uncle on the morning of 30 November, Judge Richard Maidment said in sentencing on 13 June.
Hopkins, in the belief that police needed a warrant, shut the front door on the officers, told them to “f*** off” and that he’d break an officer’s leg.
During the uncle’s arrest, Hopkins ran outside in his undies, wielded a hammer in a “fighting stance” and threatened to “smash” police officers and their vehicles.
He drove his unregistered Commodore “directly” at a police officer who jumped on a police car roof to avoid being struck.
Hopkins had turned the wheel towards the officer, his car missing the officer by “about six inches”, Judge Maidment noted.
At the least, Hopkins intended to put the officer in fear of being mowed down, the judge stated.
Weeks later in Doveton, he stopped his car and then rapidly drove away during an attempted police intercept.
He was soon afterwards arrested on foot, with a hunting knife seized from his car’s glovebox.
During questioning, Hopkins conceded his offences but remained “defiant” and “unrepentant”, the judge noted.
Since then, he’d been in adult remand custody for the first time.
Judge Maidment noted Hopkins had previously faced serious charges such as aggravated burglary, assaulting a PSO and dangerous driving but had never been convicted.
His “disadvantaged” upbringing included abuse, trauma, negligence and domestic violence.
Drug and alcohol abuse began in his early teens.
Hopkins was jailed for 180 days – already served in remand custody – and put on an 18-month community corrections order.
The supervised CCO includes 250 hours of unpaid work and drug and alcohol treatment.
He had “dodged a bullet” in avoiding extra jail time for his “outrageous” conduct, Judge Maidment said.
Normally, the exposing of an emergency worker to risk attracted “significant” jail time to “send a message” but the judge was persuaded the teen had “reasonable” rehabilitation prospects.
“You dodged a bullet on this occasion. I hope this period on remand has been a salutary lesson to you.
“It’s going to be very much up to you whether you take up the opportunity that you’ve been offered.”
Hopkins was also ordered to pay $633 to Victoria Police for deliberately smashing a police vehicle’s tail light during the Noble Park arrest.
