By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A CRANBOURNE West man has been refused bail after being accused of driving a car stolen during an armed hold-up of a cleaner in a pre-school car park on 29 August.
Dylan Antony Lockley, 21, had been arrested shortly after midnight on 5 September with a co-accused after an alleged car-theft in Dandenong, a court bail hearing heard.
A resident had been awoken by a car horn and saw his Toyota Prado’s tail-lights come on as he checked his CCTV footage, informant Acting Sergeant Michael Harris told Dandenong Magistrates’ Court.
When police arrived minutes later, they observed Lockley and the co-offender get out of the car and walk up the street.
Upon their arrest, they made admissions to starting the vehicle.
In Dandenong police cells, Lockley was found with three grams of methamphetamine inside a pocket in his jacket’s collar.
The unemployed applicant, a known drug user, had previously been convicted for failing to appear on bail, Sgt Harris said.
At the time, Lockley was on a community corrections order and on bail for charges including aggravated burglary, theft of a motor vehicle and unlicenced driving.
He had also allegedly driven a car that had been stolen during the hold-up of a cleaner at a Cranbourne North pre-school car park on 29 August.
“If you don’t give me the keys, I’ll stab you,” the unknown armed robber allegedly told the cleaner.
Lockley was allegedly spotted driving the stolen car with freshly stolen number plates at a car wash on 31 August.
The car was found burnt out in Cranbourne West at 6am the next day, the court was told.
Lockley told the court he believed the aggravated burglary and car theft charges had been dropped due to a lack of evidence.
He said he was sorry to his “caring and supportive” family for “the stress I’ve caused them”.
“I hope you can grant me bail to prove to myself and my family I can change my ways and be a good person.”
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen noted Lockley had only last been in court on 31 August as well as subject to bail and a corrections order.
“I don’t doubt your genuineness. There’s no proper support to reduce the risk of offending to an acceptable level.”
