A police helicopter and dogs were used to track down a man driving at 70km/h over the speed limit in residential Bendigo last November, a court has heard.
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Troy Darrell Bunt was arrested during an operation involving Victoria Police's air wing.
The Bendigo Magistrates' Court heard police tried to intercept the 47-year-old's car in Howard Street, Epsom on the night of November 16, but he refused to pull over.
Bunt sped off at an estimated speed of 120 to 130km/h so police did not pursue by road, but he was monitored by air wing.
At one point, police clocked Bunt travelling at 130 km/h in Scott Street, a residential street with a 60km/h limit.
Road spikes were deployed and the front tyres of the vehicle deflated, but Bunt continued to drive the vehicle on dirt roads.
He fled the vehicle after stopping in bushland, but was found using air wing and dogs.
The court was told Bunt later tested positive to having an illicit drug in his system.
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Bunt has been charged with offences that include theft, handling stolen goods, burglary, failing to stop on police direction, driving dangerously, driving at a dangerous speed, driving while disqualified, drug-driving offences, committing indictable offences on bail, driving an unregistered vehicle, careless driving, and using incorrect number plates.
Bunt said he would plead guilty after magistrate Megan Aumair gave him an indication of the sentence he faced, but the list of charges had yet to be finalised.
Ms Aumair said Bunt would face a four to six-month jail term and a possible community corrections order if he pleaded guilty.
But she said she wanted him to try to access residential rehabilitation first, to address drug issues.
Among Bunt's other offences were four petrol drive-offs from service stations in Strathdale and Epsom, worth a total of almost $270.
The court heard he also stole a radio, padlock and socket set from Bunnings Epsom last August.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Sally Mannell told the court undercover police followed Bunt home and found several items belonging to the hardware store in his car.
Bunt was also charged in relation to a burglary at a storage facility in Kangaroo Flat, from where a van was stolen.
The owner told police it had about $20,000 worth of goods inside.
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Senior Constable Mannell said the vehicle was found in East Bendigo later that month and forensics showed Bunt had had contact with it.
Bunt was also detected driving a stolen vehicle in November, on one instance bearing a stolen number plate.
He was also charged in relation to a burglary at an East Bendigo address, from which items were stolen.
Senior Constable Mannell told the court the victim found Bunt at the address.
The court heard Bunt was disqualified from driving last February for 18 months.
Defence lawyer Nicholas Rolfe said Bunt's previous offending was limited, but serious.
"Same sorts of things, over and over again," Ms Aumair replied.
Mr Rolfe told the court a drug addiction was behind Bunt's offending.
He said the former truck driver began using speed when driving interstate before progressing to methamphetamine.
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Mr Rolfe said Bunt had lost his marriage, his home and his truck as a result of his addiction.
"It's destroyed his whole life," he said.
During his 60 days in custody Bunt had completed a course around preventing reoffending, Mr Rolfe said, and had found spending Christmas in jail difficult.
"If he can stay drug-free, there's no reason why he ultimately won't become a law-abiding member of the local community," Mr Rolfe said.
Ms Aumair said Bunt needed to spend more time in custody, but also needed residential rehabilitation.
She adjourned the matter for two weeks so he could consider and apply for such a program and said she would adjourn it further if Bunt were accepted into rehabilitation.
Ms Aumair also requested a community corrections order assessment.
She disqualified Bunt from driving for 12 months from Thursday.
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