A Gapsted man arrested after an extended police chase through Melbourne last week is facing a slew of alleged theft related charges within the North East and is accused of ramming a police car in Glenrowan. The 32-year-old faced Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court on Monday from custody for a filing hearing. He has been in jail since 25 November when he led police through a dramatic chase across eight north western Melbourne suburbs in the early hours of the morning. Officers moved in and arrested the man after deploying stop sticks on his vehicle, as it was followed by a Police Air Wing. He is facing 30 charges spanning a week of alleged offending in the Wangaratta, Bright and Beechworth areas. According to police charges, the man is alleged to have rammed a detective’s police vehicle in a Glenrowan pursuit on 17 June in a stolen $70,000 Kia Sorrento. The car used to ram the police vehicle was allegedly stolen in Glenrowan that day. The man is accused of driving the vehicle as a disqualified driver and committing the alleged offending while on bail. On 10 June the man allegedly broke into two Bright properties and stole two e-bikes and a gravel bike worth $24,000. It’s alleged he also stole two jerry cans and $1500 cash. He is accused of stealing a Ford Territory from Bright on 13 June, driving it to Wangaratta and affixing the vehicle with fraudulent number plates. On 15 June the man is charged with breaking into the Beechworth Golf Club and other Beechworth properties, stealing $11,000 worth of power tools, a buggy key and rock-climbing equipment. He was charged with attempted burglary of a separate Beechworth premises and two vehicles the same day. On the same day of the alleged offending in Glenrowan, the man is charged with dealing with allegedly stolen items from the Beechworth Golf Club. Between 16 and 19 August, the 32-year-old was charged with the theft of a Toyota Camry from Kalkallo. At court, Magistrate Megan Casey remanded the 32-year-old in custody for committal mention on 12 March at Wangaratta, noting there was no application for bail.
