In short:
A drug driver who crashed through a Melbourne shopping centre last year, then drove the vehicle within metres of terrified shoppers, has been sentenced to four years and 10 months behind bars.
asserted
who → crash → bars
A court heard Giriwa May boasted on social media to friends following the June 18 incident at Northland Shopping Centre in Preston.
uncertain
May → hear → Preston
May will have to serve at least two years and 10 months in prison before being eligible for parole.
uncertain
May → have → parole
Giriwa May believed he was "Peter Brock reincarnated".
uncertain
he → believe → ?
However, he would win no trophies or admirers for his actions behind the wheel of a stolen four-wheel drive last year.
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he → win → drive
Instead, on Thursday, he was sentenced to four years and 10 months' jail.
asserted
he → sentence → jail
High on drugs, May rammed a police car and then drove the vehicle through the entrance of a shopping centre, causing patrons to run for their lives.
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patrons → ram → lives
County Court Judge Stewart Bayles said May showed complete disregard for the safety of police who tried to arrest him and people inside the Northland Shopping Centre in Preston.
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who → say → Preston
"People could have been killed or seriously injured," Judge Bayles said.
uncertain
Bayles → kill → ?
"One can only imagine the fear and the terror this conduct must have instilled in those people."
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conduct → imagine → people
Drug driver escaped arrest by ploughing through shopping centre
On June 18 last year a Northland security camera detected that the number plate on a stolen Landcruiser May was driving was itself stolen.
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May → escape → Landcruiser
Police were contacted and arrived soon after in an unmarked vehicle.
asserted
Police → contact → vehicle
Two officers tried to box May in, but he put the Landcruiser in reverse and rammed the police car out of the way.
uncertain
he → try → way
He then headed for the shopping centre entrance.
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He → head → entrance
The two-tonne vehicle crashed through the centre's security bollards and glass doors, then sped past retailers and hit a children's playground.
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vehicle → crash → playground
May drove the four-wheel drive through another exit, narrowly missing children wearing backpacks and people carrying their shopping.
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May → drive → shopping
Footage of the incident showed some shoppers running.
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shoppers → show → incident
Others dived out of the way.
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Others → dive → way
One woman can be seen pushing her pram into a shop, before racing to grab a young boy who was metres from being struck.
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who → see → boy
No-one was hurt, but Judge Bayles described chaotic scenes at the centre.
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Bayles → hurt → centre
"There is no audio on the CCTV footage but witnesses describe people as screaming, lying on the ground and crawling to get out of the way and avoid being hit," he said.
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he → be → way
The CCTV footage shows May driving out of the shopping centre and away from police in pursuit.
uncertain
May → show → pursuit
He was arrested the following day in East Melbourne.
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He → arrest → Melbourne
Driver compared himself to racing legend
May made no comment to police who arrested him the next day.
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who → compare → him
However evidence from his phone showed he had filmed himself his watching a news story about his actions at Northland.
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himself → show → Northland
He can be heard saying: "It's f***ing mayhem alright, beast, Peter Brock reincarnated."
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It → hear → ?
He sent an associate a photo of himself and the stolen vehicle on Snapchat, and wrote: "Peter Brock ain't got nut'n on me".
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Brock → send → me
He texted another person: "Cuz I'm on the run hectic … that was me on the news."
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that → texte → news
The court heard May was a heavy drug user, consuming up to a gram of methamphetamine a day.
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May → hear → methamphetamine
On Thursday, Judge Bayles said May was remorseful and spoke of his shame for letting down members of the Indigenous community.
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May → say → community
May pleaded guilty to intentionally exposing an emergency worker to risk by driving, conduct endangering life, handling stolen goods, driving while disqualified and damaging property.
uncertain
May → plead → property
He will have to serve a minimum of two years and 10 months' jail before being eligible for parole.
asserted
He → have → parole
With time served, May could be released in April 2028.
uncertain
May → serve → April
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