A 21-year-old Gilmore man charged with multiple vehicle offences including failing to stop for police while disqualified from driving has been refused bail.
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Matthew Longmore appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Saturday charged with nine offences, with a police constable giving evidence that investigations were continuing into a further 21 offences suspected to involve the accused from July 24 onwards.
ACT Policing said the accused was wanted for notching up more than $21,000 worth of speeding fines, in an earlier media statement on Saturday.
The disqualified driver had been regularly placing road user's lives at risk by reaching speeds of up to 187 kilometres per hour on public roads, the media statement said, and police alleged his dangerous driving was "rapidly escalating", including attempts to engage in police pursuits.
The accused was a passenger in a silver Mazda hatchback when ACT Policing stopped the car on the Monaro Highway and arrested him on an outstanding first instant warrant about 12.05am on Saturday morning.
Seven of the charges read in court related to traffic offences, with the two others for allegedly obtaining property by deception and unlawful possession of stolen property.
Longmore pleaded not guilty to the two property charges, but did not enter pleas for the other matters.
Prosecutor Tom Buckingham told the court the defendant had an issue with authority, pointing to the alleged failures to stop when requested.
Each of the alleged offences were committed while the defendant was on a good behaviour order after his licence was suspended in December, Mr Buckingham said.
The defendant had also failed to appear at a court hearing on June 20, with Magistrate Glenn Theakston saying there was no evidence on the court file to support the duty defence lawyer's claim the accused had called the court on the day to say he could not attend.
After Longmore's arrest on Saturday police seized a Honda Prelude from the rear yard of a property in Gilmore in relation to the matters.
Police allege the car had been painted a different colour and had false ACT registration plates attached, the media statement said.
Mr Theakston refused bail, saying he was not satisfied bail conditions or a surety could remove the likelihood of the defendant failing to appear in court or re-offending if released.
The matter returns to court on August 22.
