A Wangaratta man who led police on a high speed chase following a North East crime spree which began with a fatal collision has been told he faces further time behind bars. Zachary Wileman, 29, appeared at Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court from custody on Thursday to plead guilty to a host of charges for offending across the North East. The court heard on 9 July last year, he was a passenger with a 19-year-old Albury woman, Zahara Smith, who allegedly was involved in the carjacking and armed robbery of a Hyundai Kona earlier in the day. The pair were driving in tandem with a Wangaratta friend, Rochaell Donoghue, who was driving a Ford Lexus she had purchased with Wileman weeks prior. The two cars collided on Melrose Drive near the intersection of McFarland Road. Ms Donoghue died at the scene, while Smith and Wileman drove off, failing to stop and check in on their friend. Neither Smith or Wileman were charged for the incident, but the court heard if the vehicle had not been brought to Victoria, the fatal collision would not have occurred. Following the collision, Smith, Wileman and a 32-year-old co-accused would take part in a number of thefts and burglaries overnight within Wangaratta, Beechworth, Rutherglen and Benalla. They bought spray-paint cans to disguise the stolen vehicle before hitting multiple local businesses and residences. The trio went to a Beechworth car wash, attempting to break into a shed to access cash, but failed. In Wangaratta, they targeted the Jubilee Golf Club, a vehicle in Logan Drive and a residence in Taylor Street. They stole multiple items and tools including $250 cash from the golf club, 35 tools from the Nissan Navara on Logan Drive and hunting equipment, including thermal binoculars from Taylor Street. The trio went to Rutherglen and broke into a mechanic workshop, where thousands of dollars of power tools were stolen and an Isuzu D-Max, which was dumped just 200m up the road. They attempted to steal a BMW strapped onto a trailer, stole multiple items from a Douglas Street home and money from the local car wash. Wileman and the co-accused then went back to a Greta address and stole a Toyota Landcruiser. The Landcruiser belonged to a former employer of Wileman who had laid him off due to his drug use. Later that morning Wangaratta detectives located the parked Landcruiser on the intersection of Burke Street and Rattray Avenue, seeing many of the stolen items inside. Police attended Wileman’s home later that night and found more of the stolen items, but not Wileman himself. The trio of offenders were in Benalla, stealing petrol driving the stolen Kona when Benalla police recognised the vehicle and pursued. Wileman, who was allegedly driving the car, turned off the car’s headlights and attempted to speed away from police. Highway patrol officers followed the Kona going north on the Hume Freeway, going as fast as 170km/h. Stop sticks were deployed at the Old Barnawartha Road intersection, deflating the cars tyres. It came to a strop shortly after and Wileman was arrested attempting to flee at a nearby creek. The others were detained by the car. Defence counsel Kim McFarlane said a relationship breakdown had caused her client to spiral into drugs and the offending was to fuel his addiction. Ms McFarlane said despite a poor record on court-based orders, her client had purpose being in the community and as a father to his two children. Smith was jailed for 10-months at Wodonga Magistrates’ Court earlier in the week. Magistrate Ian Watkins said Wileman would spend at least more than the six months he has already served behind bars. He will return to Wangaratta Magistrates’ Court for sentence on 5 February.
