Man charged with driving offences after failing to stop for police

A 30-year-old Gowrie man will face the ACT Magistrates Court today after he allegedly failed to stop for police in a stolen car during an incident on the weekend.

About 7.00am on Saturday (21 September 2024), police allege the 30-year-old was sitting in a parked car with a man known to him, when the pair got into a verbal argument.

At this time, he allegedly punched the other man in the face and then took the man’s white Audi A3.

The vehicle was reported to police as stolen a short time later.

About 9.30am, police were conducting patrols in Tuggeranong when they observed the Audi in Kambah.

The driver failed to stop for police, allegedly driving onto the wrong side of the road along O’Halloran Circuit, Kambah, and was further observed by police driving erratically along Namatjira Drive, forcing one vehicle off the road to avoid the Audi.

About 1.15pm, officers located the Audi at an address in Gowrie and found the man inside a nearby residence hiding under a blanket.

He jumped through a window in an effort to evade police and after a short foot pursuit, the 30-year-old man was arrested. He was then taken to hospital for treatment for injuries sustained during his attempt to flee from police.

The man, who was on bail at the time of the incident, has been charged with aggravated furious/reckless/dangerous driving, driving a motor vehicle without consent, robbery, and driving while disqualified.