Police & Court
‘Mindless crime spree’ included driving at 120km/h in a residential street and writing off a police car
A man who drove at 120km/h in a residential Shepparton street while trying to escape from police after earlier ramming a police car has been sentenced in court.
Stephen James Bextream, 32, of Shepparton, pleaded guilty in the Shepparton County Court Koori Court division to damaging an emergency services vehicle while driving dangerously, failing to stop while being pursued, two counts of theft, obtaining property by deception and possessing methamphetamines.
Bextream also pleaded guilty to summary charges of four counts of committing an indictable offence while on bail, four counts of unlicensed driving, three counts of driving an unregistered vehicle, failing to stop on police direction, failing to stop after an accident where property damage occurred, refusing to undergo an oral fluid test, possessing a prohibited weapon and possessing an emergency distress beacon without excuse.
The court was told that Bextream sped off on police when they tried to pull him over in Wanganui Rd at 4.20am on January 10.
Two days later, Bextream was involved in a crash with a police car when police went arrest him in Albert St, Shepparton.
Police used four unmarked police vehicles to force Bextream’s car off the road to make him stop, but he instead drove on the footpath to try and get away.
Police drove one of the police cars up a driveway to try to block Bextream from getting past, and his vehicle was involved in a crash with that police car.
The police vehicle, worth between $21,000 and $24,000, was written off.
Bextream then drove off through suburban Shepparton streets while being followed by the Police Air Wing.
He reached 120km/h in the 50km/h zone in St George’s Rd.
When he eventually came to a stop in Gilchrist St and was arrested, a zip-lock bag of methamphetamines was found in his car.
In a police interview, Bextream said he drove on the footpath to avoid a collision, and he did not know the cars were police vehicles.
The court heard that in a separate incident, Bextream stole a Milwaukee rattle gun — which is used to change car tyres — from a carport of a house in Winston St, Shepparton on November 25, 2022.
On yet another occasion, on January 2, 2023, he drove a co-offender to a Murchison house where his co-offender stole a Holden VE Commodore.
On the same morning, he stole items from a vehicle parked in Murchison, including $250 cash, house keys, a bank card, cosmetics and prescription medication.
Bextream then used the stolen bankcard that day to pay $42 to wash his car and the stolen VE Commodore.
The court heard a police baton and a flare were also found by police after Bextream’s arrest.
In sentencing Bextream, Judge Peter Rozen said the accused had engaged in a “mindless crime spree”.
Judge Rozen acknowledged Bextream’s “traumatic childhood”, where he had lived with grandparents from the age of six to 11, before going into custody of the state after their deaths, and eventually being placed with a family.
Judge Rozen said a psychologist said Bextream had complex post-traumatic stress disorder and also had a “low average or borderline” intelligence that meant he had a limited capacity for consequential thinking.
The judge took into that account the fact Bextream had become a father while he was in prison and that he wanted to be a good father to his child, with the defence saying this was a “game changer” for his client.
“Ultimately it is for you to make something of your life,” Judge Rozen said.
Bextream was sentenced to 10 months in prison, to be followed by a 12-month community corrections order.
The 225 days he has already spent in pre-sentence detention will count as time already served.
The community corrections order will include 100 hours of community work, with 40 hours of this able to be used for treatment and rehabilitation for mental health, drugs and alcohol issues.
Bextream was also disqualified from obtaining a driver’s licence for four years.