A MAN used a mobile phone to take photographs of a speedometer exceeding 200km/h while he raced along the Newell Highway in a stolen car.
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Police said Beau John Peralta placed lives in extreme danger when he pushed an Audi A5 coupe to the limit near Dubbo on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old from Geelong was brought into Dubbo Local Court in handcuffs when he appeared before Magistrate Andrew Eckhold yesterday.
Legal Aid entered guilty pleas to charges of police pursuit-not stop-drive dangerously, drive while disqualified, take and drive conveyance, drive conveyance without the consent of owner, enter enclosed land without lawful excuse, and have custody of goods suspected of being stolen.
Peralta did not make a bail application. Magistrate Eckhold asked for a full pre-sentence report and adjourned the charges to October 29.
Prosecution facts tendered to the court said Peralta had recently received a five-year driving ban in Victoria.
Unemployed, with no ties to Dubbo, Peralta had an extensive criminal history in Victoria for theft, receiving stolen goods, driving at excessive speed, police pursuits, driving while disqualified and driving at dangerous speeds.
Police said the black 2012 Audi A5 was stolen from Newtown, Victoria. Peralta obtained the expensive imported vehicle from an associate and planned to drive 2903 kilometres to see his girlfriend in Cairns.
False number plates were attached to the front and rear of the Audi when Peralta left Geelong on Monday. Police said Peralta stopped at a number of service stations to refuel the vehicle. On each occasion he drove off without paying.
On Tuesday Peralta communicated with his girlfriend by mobile phone while driving, taking and transmitting photographs of the speedometer at 140km/h and 201km/h.
When Peralta was two kilometres south of Tomingley, highway patrol officers clocked the Audi at 163km/h in a 110km/h zone.
Police did a U-turn and activated all warning devices in an attempt to pull over the vehicle.
A pursuit was initiated when Peralta accelerated harshly, reaching 208km/h.
Prosecution facts said Peralta did not yield or slow as he overtook several vehicles and drove "at the edge of control".
The Audi continued at speed, swerving over the centre line and back while travelling on straight stretches of highway.
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Police discontinued the pursuit due to safety risks and lost contact with the Audi.
Another highway patrol vehicle detected the Audi travelling at 208km/h at the intersection of the Newell Highway and Pania Avenue, near Dubbo.
The Audi turned left on Ascot Park Road and right into New Market Road. Peralta got out of the vehicle when he reached a farm house. He located a black Holden Commodore utility with the keys inside.
Peralta transferred his belongings into the utility and drove the Audi into nearby scrub, leaving the bonnet and boot open and discarding the vehicle's air intake box.
Prosecution facts said the owners of the utility recognised their vehicle as Peralta drove north of River Street on the Newell Highway.
Shae and Stephen Hartin did a u-turn, called Triple-0 and followed Peralta as he headed towards Gilgandra.
Peralta pulled over just north of Paintmine Road at Eumungerie. He got out and pleaded with the Hartins not to contact police.
Peralta said he was on the run and climbed a fence through a paddock at Merrendee, Eumungerie.
He left a bag near a tree and continued to a farmhouse where he was confronted by property owner Barry Wheeler.
Peralta was told to hand himself to police. He was arrested when officers arrived moments later.