A Forrestfield man who allegedly endangered pedestrians while driving erratically near Perth Airport appeared in Perth Magistrates Court today (12 August, 2024) on 10 charges.
AFP officers were alerted yesterday evening (11 August, 2024) about a man inside a vehicle allegedly acting suspiciously near the Terminal 1 arrivals pick-up area.
The man allegedly drove the vehicle onto a pedestrian footpath, narrowly missing a pedestrian, and struck a car park fence before driving away onto Afleck Drive about 6.30pm.
He allegedly drove on the wrong side of the road, requiring several vehicles to swerve to avoid a collision.
The man allegedly continued to drive in an erratic manner around the airport vicinity.
AFP officers were eventually able to stop the four-wheel drive but had to smash a window of the vehicle to remove the man from inside.
The officers allegedly found a 50cm machete on the passenger seat of the vehicle, and also found a mallet and a small quantity of a substance believed to be illicit drugs in the vehicle.
Western Australia Police Force officers assisted and arrested and charged the man, 53, with:
- One count of reckless driving, contrary to section 60(1A)(b) of the Road Traffic Act 1974 (WA);
- One count of failing to comply with a direction to stop, contrary to section 44 of the Road Traffic (Administration) Act 2008 (WA);
- One count of reckless driving to escape pursuit by police, contrary to section 60(1A)(b) of the Road Traffic Act 1974 (WA);
- One count of endangering life, health or safety of a person, contrary to section 304(1)(b) of the Criminal Code Act 1913 (WA);
- One count of possessing a controlled weapon, contrary to section 7 of the Weapons Act 1999 (WA);
- One count of possessing an article with intent to injure, contrary to section 8 of the Weapons Act 1999 (WA);
- Two counts of driver failing to stop and causing property damage, contrary to section 55(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1974 (WA);
- One count of failing to comply with a requirement made by a police officer, contrary to section67(2) of the Road Traffic Act 1974; and
- One count of possessing a prohibited drug, namely methamphetamine, contrary to section 6 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1981 (WA).
Bail was refused. The man's next court appearance is scheduled for 26 August, 2024, at Perth Magistrates Court.
AFP Superintendent Peter Hatch said the safety of the public was the priority for the AFP and WA Police.
"The AFP is focused on preventing, disrupting and responding to security and criminal threats, to ensure the safety of the travelling public," Supt Hatch said.
The investigation remains ongoing and anyone with dashcam vision of the area between 6pm and 6.30pm is urged to upload that footage to WA Police Force Investigators via this link.
If you require a police presence at an airport, or wish to report an incident or provide information, please call the AFP's Airport Watch on 131 AFP (131 237).
