HE carjacked a woman, weaved in and out of traffic, crossed to the wrong side of the road and hit speeds of 180km/h.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Jake Dawson was doing everything he could to get away from police.
But, realistically, Dawson, 33, was never getting away because overhead a PolAir police helicopter hovered, tracking him as he sped from Cessnock to Beresfield.
Dawson was already wanted for stealing cars, driving while disqualified and police pursuits when police spotted him in Cumberland Street, Cessnock about 3.40pm on July 7 last year.
The footage from the police helicopter shows Dawson desperately trying to get away in a black Mazda before he spots a woman, 66, sitting in a parked car.
Dawson pulls the woman out of the car and takes off, triggering a wild pursuit from Cessnock to Beresfield, during which he repeatedly drove on the wrong side of the road, forced his way between cars as sparks flew from the vehicle and reached speeds of 180km/h on the Hunter Expressway.
When he got to Beresfield, he abandoned the car and started jumping fences in Emerson Street before entering a garage and trying to steal a car.
But PolAir was watching and police officers quickly found Dawson hiding in the front yard of a home nearby.
Police later went to Dawson's house at Raymond Terrace and after accessing the CCTV hard drive were able to see that he had been repeatedly driving while disqualified and using stolen number plates on a number of occasions in June.
Dawson, of Raymond Terrace, appeared in Newcastle Local Court on Wednesday via audio visual link from jail where he pleaded guilty to assault with intent to take motor vehicle, police pursuits and multiple counts of driving while disqualified.
He will next appear in Newcastle District Court next month to get a sentence date.
IN THE NEWS
- Investigations underway after man's death on Kooragang Island
- Hunter workers among BHP staff owed $430m in backpay
- New high school planned for inner city
- Rising Tide protesters face court over train blockade
- The two types of people renting electric cars in Newcastle
- The Knights star making State of Origin history tonight
To see more stories and read today's paper download the Newcastle Herald news app here.
