A man, allegedly on the run from police after a crime spree in the Hunter Valley, has been arrested after trying to escape through a prison farm.
On Monday 10 June 2019, police pursued a stolen tipper truck around the Gloucester area.
Officers later discovered the vehicle, stolen from Surry Hills in Sydney, hidden on a local property.
Around 10am today (Tuesday 11 June), a grey Toyota Hilux, stolen from the area and fitted with stolen number plates, was used in a service station drive-off at Scone.
The stolen vehicle was spotted and pursued by Muswellbrook police.
The chase ended two minutes later when the alleged thief crashed the vehicle through a farm fence near Halcombe Hill.
Officers, from the Hunter Valley Police District, chased the driver on foot as he ran across an adjacent rail line into farm paddocks, the suspect unaware he had entered the grounds of St Helier’s Prison Farm.
The 46-year-old man was arrested and taken to the Muswellbrook Police Station where he was charged with 15 offences including stealing, steal motor vehicle, Police pursuit (Skye’s Law), fraud, drive manner dangerous, unlicensed driver, trespass, resist police, goods in custody and custody of knife.
He was refused bail and ordered to appear in the Muswellbrook Local Court tomorrow, Wednesday 12 June 2019.
