A court has heard of how a Trawalla man allegedly filmed himself setting fire to stolen cars and stealing catalytic converters across western Victoria and led police on a car chase through Bendigo.
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Joshua Hope, 25, appeared from custody at the Ballarat Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, March 12 for a summary jurisdiction hearing.
A summary jurisdiction application allows serious charges to be heard in the Magistrates' Court as opposed to the higher County Court, as they typically would.
Hope faced charges of car theft, arson and handling stolen goods - with police dropping several charges between his arrest and hearing.
Accused seen in California Gully before driving off
The court heard about 10.30pm on December 21, 2022, Hope was allegedly seen parked in a Holden Commodore ute next to another vehicle in a hardware store car park in California Gully, Bendigo.
Police alleged Hope and the man were talking while looking at items in a boot under torch light. It was then alleged Hope saw police nearby and ran to his car.
Police pulled in behind Hope's ute and activated their lights and sirens.
Hope then allegedly drove off from police, to a dead end of the car park, before turning around and driving towards the police with his hi-beams on.
Police then alleged Hope swerved around their car and left the car park, making an illegal right-hand turn onto the nearby Eaglehawk Road before leaving.
The man Hope had been seen talking to later told police the pair had met to discuss the sale of catalytic converters.
A phone allegedly contains video of offences
The police then seized a phone said to belong to Hope's girlfriend at a Carisbrook address, which allegedly contained videos showing him committing acts of arson and theft from vehicles.
Police said a video from the phone filmed at 2.34am on December 11, 2022, showed Hope setting a stolen 2006 Ford Focus on fire by lighting a wick and throwing it.
The same car was said to have been found burnt-out near the train tracks in Talbot on December 13, 2022.
Three other video clips were alleged to have shown Hope light a wick and set fire to a stolen 2003 Holden Commodore ute in the Creswick State Forest.
Police arrested Hope in January 2023, after a visit to his Trawalla home. It was alleged police found a catalytic converter and tail lights belonging to a 2022 Mitsubishi Triton, which was stolen from a Daylesford address on January 2, 2023.
Police also allegedly found a Makita reciprocating saw and a set of Swarovski binoculars. A video on a phone seized at the address allegedly showed Hope using the saw to cut the catalytic converter from the Triton.
The value of the two cars allegedly burnt totalled $13,000.
Magistrate Gulliame Bailin granted summary jurisdiction to Hope, who will reappear in court on April 23 to plead guilty to the charges.
