By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Cranbourne man has denied owning a car allegedly involved in a hoon meet despite being apparently dobbed in by his mum, Dandenong Magistrates’ Court heard.
Kye Gillespie pleaded not guilty to failing to give information to police about who was driving the red Holden sedan that sped away on bare rear wheel rims from police and was found abandoned 16 kilometres away.
Police had spotted the Holden dropping a burnout among 100 vehicles and a group of spectators at the corner of Heads and Caldermede roads in Catani about 11.30pm on 19 April 2019.
The officers observed the Holden blow its rear tyres as it covered the throng in smoke.
It was described by police as “dangerous and reckless driving” putting onlookers at risk of injury, the court heard on 25 February.
Police attempted to pull over the Holden with a male driver and male passenger aboard on Heads Road.
The sedan accelerated from police – who chased with lights and sirens blaring.
Driven on bare wheel rims due to blown-out tyres, the Holden lacked traction and drifted side to side, police reported.
Police pulled out of the pursuit due to safety concerns, but followed the trail of rim-marks along sealed and gravel roads for 16 kilometres, the court heard.
The abandoned sedan was found locked in Garfield. It was seized by police and towed away.
Police say the registered owner of the Holden stated she’d given the keys to the car to her son Kye Gillespie for 12 months.
When approached by police, Gillespie denied knowledge about who was driving the car at the time.
He was given 24 hours to nominate someone else.
But in the past 10 months, Gillespie had failed to give police any details of making inquiries into who was driving the car, police say.
Gillespie told the court that police were “trying to get me to admit to something I really don’t know about”.
In police body-cam footage of their initial meeting, “I immediately said that was not true”, Gillespie said.
“I’m innocent. I don’t understand why I’m here.
“I’ve got two mates with me today who were away with me while this was going on.”
Gillespie said he didn’t know what to say to police.
“The car is not mine. It’s not registered to me.”
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen asked Gillespie if the car had been at Gillespie’s address at the time.
“I’m not sure,” Gillespie said – who suggested that police collect fingerprints from the car to prove he’d never driven it.
Mr Vandersteen noted that Gillespie had rejected legal advice from a “reputable” criminal law firm to plead guilty
“(For five months) you have sought adjournment after adjournment after adjournment to get legal advice,” Mr Vandersteen told the accused.
“Have you (now) done it?”
Gillespie said: “I haven’t. I don’t know why.
“I didn’t think it would come to this.”
If found guilty, Gillespie faced conviction and a mandatory driving-disqualification for two years.
The matter was booked for a contest mention at Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on 13 March.
Mr Vandersteen warned Gillespie that the trial would go ahead that day regardless of whether he’d hired a lawyer.
