A woman accused of carjacking, vehicle theft and multiple petrol drive-offs has faced a court in Bendigo this week.
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Sarah Stanford, 22, applied for bail in the Bendigo Magistrates' Court, but the application was strongly opposed by police on the grounds she posed an unacceptable risk of offending, endangering the safety of people, interfering with witnesses, and failing to answer bail.
Detective Senior Constable Stuart Poulton told the court Ms Stanford was allegedly involved in an incident on February 20 in which she stole a vehicle from a man, which belonged to his father, after punching him in the face.
The car was later found in Eaglehawk with significant damage.
More court news:
On February 22, Ms Stanford was alleged to have stolen a second vehicle parked in front of the victim's address, the keys having been attached to those of the first vehicle.
Detective Senior Constable Poulton said Ms Stanford allegedly drove to an Epsom petrol station in the second stolen vehicle on February 27 and filled it up with petrol before driving off without paying, an incident that was captured on CCTV.
It was alleged Ms Stanford committed another three petrol thefts.
Another vehicle Ms Stanford was alleged to have driven was stolen from Maryborough and recovered in Spring Gully earlier this month.
Detective Senior Constable Poulton told the court Ms Stanford was also seen by police driving on Eaglehawk Road and when the officers activated their lights and sirens, she allegedly drove onto the wrong side of the road at speed, over the crest of a hill.
Ms Stanford was unlicensed at the time of the alleged offending and on bail.
She was arrested on March 15, the day after a warrant was issued for her arrest.
Detective Senior Constable Poulton said Ms Stanford had made admissions to the offending with the exception of the carjacking, about which she said the victim had left the vehicle of his own accord.
He said Ms Stanford told him she had a drug issue.
He said her driving when police tried to stop her was "sheer lunacy", and with her driving it was a matter of when, not if, someone was hit.
Detective Senior Constable Poulton told the court the victim of the car thefts was afraid of her.
There were no bail conditions the court could impose at this time, the detective said, that would alleviate his concerns.
During questioning from duty lawyer Kate Youngson, Detective Senior Constable Poulton said Ms Stanford had told him that part of her offending was due to her being threatened by two men with a gun.
He said police were actively looking for those men.
When asked about Ms Stanford's potential release under the Court Integrated Services Program - which provided support to accused people - he said he was "firmly of the opinion" she was a risk.
Ms Youngson told the court Ms Stanford was willing to abide by any bail conditions.
But magistrate Sarah Leighfield said the risk factors were high and she wanted to see what the Court Integrated Services Program could put in place to reduce the risk before releasing Ms Stanford on bail.
The matter was adjourned to next month.
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