A man who allegedly rammed a police car while trying to escape from police in a stolen car has been refused bail.
Jesse Ezard, 26, from Mooroopna, unsuccessfully applied for bail in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court.
He is charged with four counts of exposing an emergency services worker to risk by driving, four counts of recklessly exposing an emergency services worker to risk, reckless driving that caused damage to an emergency services vehicle, driving in a dangerous manner while pursued by police, theft of a vehicle, and driving disqualified.
Mr Ezard is also charged with possession of two unregistered firearms, two counts of being a prohibited person possessing a firearm, two counts of possessing ammunition while not the holder of a firearms licence, unlawfully possessing a controlled weapon, and being armed with two firearms with criminal intent.
He is also charged with trafficking cannabis, possessing MDMA, possessing amphetamine, possessing cocaine, possessing cannabis, resisting police, dealing with property suspected to be the proceeds of crime, refusing an oral fluid drug test and failing to comply with an order to give access to a phone.
Shepparton police Crime Investigation Unit’s Detective Senior Constable Nathan Berryman told the court police responded to reports of a suspicious vehicle in Knight St, Mooroopna at 5.47am on July 27 last year.
Police vehicles were parked in front of and behind the stolen Holden Commodore ute as Mr Ezard slept in the driver’s seat.
When he woke, Mr Ezard refused to unlock the door, before ramming into the police van behind him and pushing back on it, Det Sen Constable Berryman said.
The court was told police smashed the ute’s window and capsicum sprayed him, but Mr Ezard sped forward, mounted the nature strip and drove around the police vehicle in front.
Police pursued the vehicle which they allege was driven erratically on the wrong side of the road, before crashing into a parked car near Echuca Rd.
The court heard police again capsicum sprayed Mr Ezard before they were able to arrest him.
Police found two guns in the ute, as well as 482g of cannabis, $2200, ammunition, cocaine, amphetamines, MDMA and a hunting knife, Det Sen Constable Berryman said.
Mr Ezard also refused to do an oral fluid drug test and was on a community corrections order at the time.
Det Sen Constable Berryman said Mr Ezard appeared substance affected after the incident and that he was using 12 points of methamphetamines and three lines of cocaine a day prior to the incident.
Mr Ezard’s solicitor Ian Michaelson argued he should get bail as he had been offered a bed at a drug rehabilitation centre in Bairnsdale.
Det Sen Constable Berryman, however, argued that the facility would not compel him to remain there during treatment and that he could leave at any time.
Mr Ezard will face Shepparton Magistrates’ Court next on January 27 in a one-day contested committal over the charges.