newy.com.au – A man and woman will face court today after police allegedly found a firearm in an SUV following a reported break and enter at a Kotara shopping centre and a pursuit through Newcastle’s southern suburbs.
Police were called to the shopping centre on Northcott Drive about 6.30am on Thursday after reports of a break and enter. Officers attempted to stop an SUV in the centre’s car park, but the driver allegedly failed to stop as directed and a pursuit began on Park Avenue.
The pursuit continued through Kotara South and Charlestown to City Road at Adamstown Heights, where police allege the SUV was forced through traffic and collided with a sedan. The sedan driver was not injured.
The SUV stopped about 6.50am at the intersection of Northcott and Wade streets at Kotara, where a man and woman were arrested. Police said a search of the vehicle allegedly uncovered a firearm, which was seized for further examination, as well as goods suspected of being stolen and items including a hammer, bolt cutters, screwdrivers and pliers.
The pair were taken to Newcastle Police Station. The 31-year-old man was charged with 24 offences, including police pursuit not stop drive dangerously, possessing an unauthorised pistol, possessing housebreaking implements, hindering or resisting police, dishonestly obtaining property by deception, and goods in personal custody suspected of being stolen. His charges also include five counts of using an unregistered registrable Class A motor vehicle on a road, four counts of having his face blackened or disguised with intent to commit an indictable offence, two counts each of aggravated break and enter in company to steal and special aggravated break and enter and commit a serious indictable offence with a weapon, as well as driving and property-related offences.
The 23-year-old woman was charged with five offences: larceny valued at less than or equal to $2000, special aggravated break and enter and committing a serious indictable offence with a weapon, having her face blackened or disguised with intent to commit an indictable offence, possessing an unauthorised pistol and possessing housebreaking implements.
Both were refused bail to appear before Bail Division Court 2 today.
