A Frankston serial car thief has been jailed for up to 26 months after a perilous, two-hour police pursuit across the South East.
Corey Johnston, 22 at the time, fled in a stolen Commodore with false plates from police road units and Air Wing across Frankston, Carrum Downs, Keysborough, Dandenong, Beaconsfield and Fountain Gate late on 5 February 2025.
The protracted pursuit “reads like a movie script”, with “appalling” driving that put police officers and other road users at risk, Victorian County Court judge Kevin Doyle stated.
Though he kept largely within the speed limit, Johnston ran two red lights in Keysborough, at another stage veering on the wrong side of the road to avoid roadworks.
When he went through one of the red lights at high speed, he would have had “no idea” of oncoming traffic – with potentially fatal consequences, Judge Doyle noted.
His only motivation for ignoring police was to avoid apprehension and responsibility for his imitation gun and stolen car, the judge found.
It was “hard to think of any innocent purpose” for holding such a weapon, Judge Doyle noted.
Johnston called his girlfriend, who was with police at the time. He told her that the “Air Wing is on me”, “the jacks are behind me”, and described police spotlighting him.
He could outrun the police but he only had half-a-tank of petrol, he told her.
He’d decided to throw his gun out under a bridge, he said. That imitation gun was later found by police near an overpass at Lathams Road and Eastlink in Carrum Downs.
“I don’t know what to do,” he said.
On a second call, Johnston said he was trying to think of an underground carpark where he could escape in another vehicle – and came up with Frankston Hospital and Karringal shopping centre.
Eventually he was arrested about 1am in Fountain Gate shopping centre, hiding in the back seat of another car.
At the time he was suspended from driving, and subject to a firearm prohibition order.
Johnston pled guilty to charges including dangerous driving while pursued by police, car theft and possessing an imitation gun as a prohibited person.
He also pled to offences relating to two other Holdens stolen from Sandhurst Golf Club and from Patterson Lakes.
In sentencing on 5 February, Judge Doyle noted the now-23-year-old’s lengthy priors including car thefts, a police pursuit, weapons, disqualified driving and multiple community correction order breaches.
After many court orders to help his rehabilitation, this time he was assessed by Corrections Victoria as unsuitable for another CCO.
There was little evidence of remorse, despite Johnston’s guilty pleas.
He was diagnosed with complex PTSD, ADHD, borderline personality and stimulant use disorders. The long-time user had been taking a gram of meth a day, plus GHB.
A psychologist recommended multidisciplinary intervention. She found Johnston was at risk of a cycle of recidivism and institutionalisation.
Judge Doyle noted Johnston’s youthfulness. But given Johnston’s history, jail including a non-parole period was the only option, the judge said.
Johnston was jailed for up to 26 months, with a 15-month non-parole period.
His term includes 364 days of pre-sentence detention, meaning he will be eligible for parole in three months.
