Man who allegedly crashed into police car applies for bail

He is charged with vehicle theft, aggravated reckless exposure of a police officer to risk by driving in a stolen vehicle, damaging an emergency services vehicle by reckless driving and dangerous driving while pursued by police.

He is also charged with recklessly engaging in conduct that may have placed a person in danger of serious injury, driving at a dangerous speed, handling stolen goods, failing to stop after an accident, driving while disqualified, committing an indictable offence on bail and five counts of contravening a conduct condition of bail.

Cobram Crime Investigation Unit’s Detective Leading Senior Constable Amy McColl told the court Mr Kearns allegedly hit the front bumper of an unmarked police car with three officers inside, while driving a stolen ute on Mackellar Cres, Mooroopna on Monday afternoon, April 21.

Det Leading Sen Constable McColl said Mr Kearns didn’t stop the ute when police flashed their lights, and when police moved to the side of the road to avoid a collision, he allegedly told his co-accused, “I’m just going to keep driving into them”.

The court heard the stolen ute was also driving erratically and at a fast speed on Nixon St, near the corner of Maude St, at about 3.45pm, and again didn’t stop for police flashing their lights.

Det Leading Sen Constable McColl said Mr Kearns then allegedly drove the ute to Riverside Plaza in Kialla and left it in the loading zone behind Coles.

The car was still running with the keys in the ignition when police found it.

The ute Mr Kearns was allegedly driving was a blue Holden Commodore that had been stolen from Muckatah, near Katamatite, between 11pm on Sunday, April 20 and 8am Monday, April 21.

The court heard police found three fingerprints on the car, which had been analysed and identified as belonging to Mr Kearns.

Det Leading Sen Constable McColl said in his interview Mr Kearns told police the unmarked police car “ran into me”.

The court heard police found a backpack in the ute that had been stolen from a vehicle in Katamatite some time overnight between April 20 and April 21, and two number plates that had been stolen from Mooroopna on April 21.

Det Leading Sen Constable McColl said Mr Kearns was “volatile and erratic”, had “no regard for bail conditions”, and was “capable of anything to escape apprehension”.

Det Leading Sen Constable McColl told the court Mr Kearns had shown “no regard for bail conditions” and there was “no bail condition available to prevent offending”.

The court heard Mr Kearns had been released from prison on a community corrections order on February 14; however, an arrest warrant had since been issued.

The court also heard there was an outstanding warrant for Mr Kearns’ arrest in NSW for a police pursuit in a stolen vehicle.

Mr Kearns’ defence solicitor Anthony Kearns said his client had started engaging with The Bridge Youth Service to address his drug addiction.

In refusing Mr Kearns bail, magistrate Ian Watkins said the offending was serious, and noted his “significant prior criminal history for similar and other offences”.

Mr Watkins said the prosecution had a strong case and Mr Kearns was “a huge risk of endangering the public”.

Mr Kearns will next face Shepparton Magistrates’ Court in May.

Mr Kearns’ co-accused, a 56-year-old Mooroopna man, has been charged with theft of a vehicle and possession of cannabis.

He had been bailed to appear in Shepparton Magistrates’ Court at a later date.