Source : Perth Now news
Shocking CCTV footage has captured shoppers fleeing for their lives as a stolen Toyota LandCruiser races through a busy shopping centre in Melbourne.
The video, from June last year, emerged during the court case against driver Giriwa May, 28, over the incident at Northland Shopping Centre in the city’s north.
May was jailed for four years and 10 months in the County Court of Victoria on Thursday after pleading guilty to reckless conduct endangering life, handling stolen goods, intentionally damaging property and exposing an emergency worker to risk.
“One can only imagine the fear and the terror that this conduct must have instilled in those people,” Judge Stuart Bayles said as he sentenced May.
“In my view, this is an extremely serious incident. You drove a stolen vehicle, at considerable speed, through a busy shopping centre in the middle of a weekday afternoon.”
The court was told May had attended the shopping centre about 4pm on June 18, parking and walking in to purchase an item.
But, after his return to the LandCruiser, May was sitting in the driver’s seat as an unmarked police car pulled up and an officer approached the vehicle.
May, who was using up to a gram of methamphetamine daily and was “fearful” of police, attempted to flee, reversing into the police car four times as the officer attempted to smash the window open with his baton.
May then drove into the shopping centre, reaching speeds of up to 50 or 60km/h, as terrified shoppers frantically attempted to get out of the way.
Midway through the centre, May “drove straight through” a children’s playground.
He then fled, parked the LandCruiser at Northcote Plaza and made his way home where he texted a mate “Peter Brock ain’t got nut’n on me” after seeing his actions on the news.
“There is no audio on the CCTV footage. Witnesses described people as screaming, lying on the ground, and crawling to get out of the way and avoid being hit,” Judge Bayles said.
“It is clear from viewing this footage that the people who can be seen would have been shocked, taken completely by surprise, and terrified by this experience.
“I must view this conduct of yours, an attempt to get away from police, as showing a complete disregard for the safety and wellbeing of pedestrians as members of the public going about their daily business in an environment where no one would have expected anything like this to occur.”
Damage to the centre’s glass doors and three shop fronts is estimated to have been about $145,000.
The court was told May had since reflected on his “stupid” actions, expressing regret and his relief that no one was hurt.
He will become eligible for parole after serving a minimum of two years and 10 months of his sentence.
