A couple who allegedly stole a tractor and got into a slow speed police chase as they drove erratically for about 80km before crashing into an army base on Saturday, June 17, have been refused bail.
Quinn Schmook, 36, and Tanya Taylor, 38, both of Narrogin, Western Australia, were refused bail in Benalla Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, June 20.
They are both charged with theft of the tractor, theft of a hay feeder trailer, reckless conduct endangering serious injury, driving in a dangerous manner, dangerous driving while pursued by police, failing to stop on police direction, criminal damage, trespassing on Commonwealth land and possessing methamphetamines.
The court heard the pair stole a $150,000 John Deere 6140M tractor — with a Pearce hay feeder trailer attached — from a machinery shed on a property at Arcadia South at 8am on Saturday.
They then allegedly drove it along the Goulburn Valley Hwy, at times swerving across lanes, almost hitting a bus and hitting the wire barrier.
A slow police pursuit saw speeds of 40km/h reached.
The prosecution alleges the tractor was driven through the main street of Seymour, almost rolling at one point, before being driven to the Puckapunyal Military Base where it was rammed into the fence twice before the engine stalled.
Benalla Crime Investigation Unit Detective Senior Constable Luke Arrowsmith said the pair appeared “severely drug affected” and were “showing the symptoms of drug-affected psychosis” when they were arrested.
The bail application started on Monday at Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court, before being adjourned to continue at Benalla Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
At Benalla, Ms Taylor’s defence solicitor Nancy Battiato urged the magistrate to bail her client, saying she had never been in custody before, and had only appeared in court once before for a driving matter.
Ms Battiato also argued her client could be placed on Court Integrated Services Program bail and had a willingness to engage with services available.
She also said Ms Taylor was drug affected during the incident and was willing to do drug and alcohol counselling.
Magistrate Peter Dunn, however, refused bail, saying there was a strong prosecution base and if found guilty, jail would be the likely outcome.
He also found she was transient, was likely to flee Victoria and had a drug addiction.
Mr Schmook’s solicitor Geoff Clancy told the court his client did not have “any motives” in driving towards the military base.
“It was just the direction the tractor was driven,” he said.
Mr Clancy argued Mr Schmook had not been in custody before and would benefit from drug treatment in the community.
He also said there would be “considerable delays” in the matter coming before the court.
The magistrate, however, refused bail, saying Mr Schmook had no ties to the Victorian community, and being able to live in a caravan park with Ms Taylor’s mother while on bail gave him “no confidence”.
Mr Dunn also spoke of Mr Schmook’s drug addiction where he “used four to five points of methamphetamines a day”.
He also said that while there were no signs pointing to the military base, it was “well known to be one”.
Neither of the accused have entered pleas in the matter.
Mr Schmook and Ms Taylor were remanded in custody to next appear in Seymour Magistrates’ Court in August.