Driving at 190km/h on a rural road at nighttime while drug affected before running from the vehicle and hiding in a paddock has landed a 38-year-old Echuca man back in custody.
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Glen Calleja had been released from jail on April 4, 2023, before the dangerous driving on August 25, having previously been sentenced to a year and two months for similar crimes.
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The Bendigo Magistrates' Court heard, during an unsuccessful bail application on August 28, there was "an hour and twenty minutes of airwing footage" of Calleja's dangerous escapades just four months after getting out of jail.
Dangerous driver back on roads
The court heard on August 25, Calleja used a car stolen from Melbourne earlier in the month displaying stolen plates stolen from Sunshine, and was seen by police accelerating on the Northern Highway.
He drove at 180km/h between Stratton Road and Cleary Street and failed to stop despite being chased by police.
Calleja drove out to the area around Lockington before returning to Echuca, at times driving 90km/h above the 100km/h speed limit which was captured by the police airwing.
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Detective Sergeant Patrick Grellis told the court police had attempted to use stop sticks and managed to halt Calleja's car near the Echuca - Mitiamo Road and Stratton Road intersection.
At this point, the vehicle vered into a paddock with Calleja and a co-accused running into the cereal crop.
The pair was arrested at around 10.45pm hiding in a paddock.
Calleja was found to have been affected by methylamphetamine and admitted to being the driver of the car, although he denied knowing the car and plates were stolen.
'Hard to tell an adult what to do'
He told police a friend had loaned him the car and that it was a rental that needed returning.
Calleja's licence was disqualified at the time of this dangerous pursuit, having been cancelled for four years from October 12, 2021.
George Calleja - the father of Glen - told the court it was "very hard to tell an adult what to do".
"You can ask and you can offer but at that age you can't force," he told the court.
He said he would always support his children but conceded he could not always tell when his son was using drugs or approaching a period of relapse.
Magistrate Trieu Huynh said there was a strong prosecution case in this matter and Glen Calleja risked a substantial term of imprisonment, with recent and relevant priors and only having been out of custody for four months before his serious offending.
Magistrate Huynh credited George Calleja for "being such a supportive father" but refused the bail application.
Glen Calleja will reappear in court in Echuca in September.
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Lucy Williams
Journalist with an interest in telling regional and rural stories, and covering the diverse array of topics that matter to the people of Bendigo.
Journalist with an interest in telling regional and rural stories, and covering the diverse array of topics that matter to the people of Bendigo.
