Ashley Paul Inder, 28, has been refused bail over an incident on the weekend. Photo: Facebook.
Two men and a woman have been arrested in a Nissan X-Trail that police believe was stolen during an alleged ram raid at a north Canberra car yard.
In court documents, police allege two people used a dark-coloured sedan, possibly a BMW, to ram the back fence of National Capital Motors in Belconnen by reversing into it several times between 3:00 am and 4:00 am on Saturday (28 August).
The duo allegedly forced their way into an office then left with a till containing money and car keys before driving away in their car.
But shortly afterwards, they returned and allegedly used their car to ram a roller door before stealing the silver X-Trail using a key from the till.
On Saturday night, police allegedly saw the X-Trail speeding on Antill Street in Watson at about 11:30 pm with its headlights turned off.
They followed the car towards the Federal Highway while additional police set up a perimeter.
Police deployed a tyre-deflation device in Aspinall Street in Watson. The X-Trail eventually came to a stop in Phillip Avenue before two men, Ashley Paul Inder and Aubrey James Agostino, and a woman, were arrested inside it.
During the chase, the X-Trail was allegedly driven over the speed limit, on the wrong side of the road, and almost collided with another car.
The woman, a 36-year-old from Kingston, was granted bail to appear in court in September on a charge of unlawful possession of stolen property.
Inder, 28, from Charnwood, was charged with driving while disqualified, furious driving, failing to stop a motor vehicle for police and driving a motor vehicle without consent. He allegedly was pulled out of the driver’s seat when he was arrested.
He made an obscenity-laded outburst when Magistrate James Lawton refused him bail in the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday (30 August), in part calling people in the courtroom “f–king idiots”.
His Legal Aid lawyer, Ms Cobden, had claimed there was no indication her client, who had been working in the construction industry before the coronavirus lockdown, was involved in how the car was obtained or knew where it came from.
But the prosecutor said he was already on bail for other matters when he was arrested in the allegedly stolen car.
She alleged his driving had put other road users at risk, as well as his co-defendants.
Agostino, 31, from Stirling, was charged with riding in a motor vehicle without consent, possessing a drug of dependence and possessing ammunition.
On Monday, he whispered a prolonged “yes” when Magistrate Lawton granted him bail in the Magistrates Court.
The prosecutor had opposed bail.
She said while Agostino, also known as Aubrey Mark James Heath, was not the driver of the X-Trail, he was arrested in the allegedly stolen car.
But his lawyer, Connor McMaster from Tim Sharman Solicitors, had said his client claimed he was picked up shortly before the police pursuit began and had no knowledge of the alleged ram raid.
“I didn’t know it was a stolen motor vehicle,” Agostino announced at one stage.
“I don’t get around in stolen motor vehicles. I don’t do that kind of stuff.”
He will next appear in court on 13 October. Inder is back in court on 20 September.
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