Billy-Leighton Blockey, 28, approaches media outside the courthouse on Tuesday. Photo: Albert McKnight.
A drunk driver was allegedly spotted performing a burnout in front of police before speeding away in a car chase that continued even though his tyres were deflated, a court has heard.
ACT Policing said officers were patrolling Kambah at around 12:40 am on Tuesday (26 November) when they allegedly spotted a Mazda BT-50 with stolen registration plates.
It is alleged that after its driver performed a burnout in front of an unmarked police car on a residential street, he was directed to stop but drove away. He allegedly drove the car over tyre deflation devices during the following pursuit.
Police arrested 28-year-old Billy-Leighton Blockey after he allegedly stopped the car a short time later on the Tuggeranong Parkway.
He was subjected to a blood alcohol screening test, which allegedly returned a result of 0.103 grams of alcohol per 210 litres of breath.
Blockey was charged with failing to stop for police, aggravated/furious/reckless driving and driving a motor vehicle with alcohol in his blood before he faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning and applied for bail.
Billy-Leighton Blockey did not enter pleas to his charges on Tuesday. Photo: Albert McKnight.
His Legal Aid lawyer said his client had been “very intoxicated” that morning, and the main issue for him was his alcohol use, but he had said he was capable of abstaining.
The lawyer said his client, who works as a renderer, could live in Hackett if he was granted bail and was a relatively young man who had faced a “fairly tumultuous year”.
Prosecutor Madeleine Gallo opposed bail, alleging that during the car chase, Blockey had been speeding, failed to stop for police, ran a red light and drove with his tyres deflated.
She alleged he told police he wouldn’t comply with an order that suspended him from driving, so she argued the court could have no confidence that he would comply with its orders if he were granted bail.
Magistrate Ian Temby said he had no evidence to suggest that Blockey wouldn’t comply with an order prohibiting him from drinking alcohol.
The magistrate said it was not a case where he thought he presented such a danger to the community that he shouldn’t give him an opportunity to “prove himself”.
Bail was granted on conditions he not drive, not drink alcohol and engage with ACT Mental Health.
The matter was adjourned to 13 January. No pleas were entered.
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