A 19-year-old man allegedly led police on a high-speed chase, at times on the wrong side of the road and on footpaths in a university campus, after assaulting a number of people, breaking into homes and damaging property.
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Jaiden Ashton Higgins appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday morning, charged with attempted robbery, damaging property, failing to stop, dangerous driving, driving under the influence of alcohol, crashing a vehicle/not providing details and driving while disqualified.
ACT Policing said members of a newly established taskforce - targeting high-risk driving behaviours and stolen vehicles which are often used in other crimes - worked through Saturday night to catch the 19-year-old man. They are still looking for two accomplices.
The first reports came in about 7pm, after three men allegedly tried to break into a Macquarie residence.
The trio allegedly used a chair to try and break the windows of the residence, knocking over pot plants and snapping off the mirrors of a Toyota Camry.
The resident, who was inside, was unharmed but alerted police.
Police allege moments later, another Macquarie resident walking home was forcibly confined by the same three men and taken to a nearby residence where he was assaulted and had various items stolen.
"The man was able to escape and sought assistance from nearby shopping centre security guards, who then alerted police," police said.
Police also later received reports that a man waiting to collect his daughter from a party in Scullin had been dragged from his parked vehicle by one of the trio before it was stolen and driven away.
A woman told officers, about the same time, that she had been assaulted by one of the trio outside her home in Scullin, while she got out of her car after returning.
"The man assaulted the woman in an attempt to get her keys and followed her into her residence by forcing the door open before fleeing the scene," police said.
Police said officers saw a vehicle they thought was suspicious on Belconnen Way about 11pm. There was a short pursuit, but it was called off because of concerns for public safety.
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"Shortly after, police then re-engaged in another pursuit with the same vehicle but were forced to terminate when the driver reached excessive and extremely dangerous speeds in O'Connor (including reaching 150km/h in a 60km/h zone)," they said.
The speeding car crossed onto the wrong side of the road, where it hit a parked car. It was seen a short time later on Barry Drive, Acton, travelling at speeds of up to 100km/h in an 80km/h zone.
"At this time, police observed the rear tyres to be disintegrated with sparks and rubber flying from the rear, leaving gouges imprinted on the road," they said.
"The driver entered the University of Canberra campus - using footpaths and median strips before police conducted a co-ordinated response, ultimately trapping the 19-year-old before having to deploy capsicum spray to subdue him."
Police allege he returned a blood-alcohol reading of 0.139 and had a disqualified licence.
Higgins, who was on bail at the time in question, did not enter pleas or apply to be released again.
He will be remanded in custody until his next court date on August 15.
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