Police charge man after pursuit in stolen car at Lake Macquarie

A man has been charged after the stolen car he was allegedly driving was involved in a pursuit through the Lake Macquarie area yesterday.

About 7.20am (Saturday 5 September 2020), officers attached to Lake Macquarie Police District were alerted to a white Volkswagen Caddy driving in a dangerous manner in Windale.

Police observed the Volkswagen in Merrigum Street and as they approached the vehicle, the driver allegedly accelerated and a pursuit commenced through South and Lake streets, Windale.

The pursuit was terminated due to safety concerns.

A short time later, the Volkswagen was sighted in Honeyeater Close, Tingira Heights, where the driver again allegedly accelerated from police down McElwee Drive and onto Violet Town Road, before exiting the vehicle and fleeing on foot.

The driver, an 18-year-old man from Gateshed, was located under a vehicle on McElwee Drive and arrested.

Upon searching the man, police allegedly located a hunting knife in his pants.

The man was also breath tested, allegedly returning a positive result.

He was taken to Belmont Police Station, where a subsequent breath analysis allegedly returned a reading of 0.071.

The man was charged with never licensed person drive vehicle on road, low-range drink driving, drive conveyance taken without consent of owner, police pursuit - not stop - drive at speed, and custody of knife in public place.

He was granted conditional bail to appear in Belmont Local Court on Wednesday 23 September 2020.

Police will allege the car was stolen from a Warners Bay address in the hours before the incident.

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