Worigee: Man charged after alleged axe attack, car theft, and 180km police chase on NSW South Coast

Kimberley Braddish
The Nightly
A 25-year-old man has been charged after allegedly attacking a woman with an axe, stealing her car, and leading police on a dangerous high-speed chase across the NSW South Coast.
A 25-year-old man has been charged after allegedly attacking a woman with an axe, stealing her car, and leading police on a dangerous high-speed chase across the NSW South Coast. Credit: AAP

A 25-year-old man is facing a string of serious charges after he allegedly assaulted a 66-year-old woman with an axe, stole her classic Ford Mustang, and led officers on a high-speed pursuit through multiple towns on Saturday afternoon.

Shortly before 1pm, officers were called to Rayleigh Drive in Worrigee following reports of a man armed with an axe and hammer.

As police arrived, the man allegedly threw the axe at their vehicle before running to a nearby home in Illawara Circuit.

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There, police allege, he attacked a 66-year-old woman as she sat in her Ford Mustang. “Police will allege the man hit the woman multiple times with the axe before forcing her out of the car; the woman was then runover by her own car as the man drove it away,” a NSW Police spokesperson said

The victim was rushed to hospital with serious injuries to her legs and torso.

She remains in a serious but stable condition after being transferred to St George Hospital for further treatment.

Police, with the help of PolAir, spotted the stolen Mustang about 2pm on the Princes Highway and began a pursuit that reached speeds of up to 180km in a 80km zone.

“The pursuit continued through Nowra, Bomaderry, Berry, Gerringong, and Kiama,” police said, with the driver allegedly swerving at officers and narrowly missing road spikes.

The chase ended at Kiama Downs when the Mustang collided with a ute. The alleged driver tried to flee on foot, but members of the public detained him until police arrived.

The man was taken to Wollongong Hospital before being charged with multiple offences, including use of an offensive weapon, pursuit, and larceny. He was refused bail and is due to appear in court today.

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