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The Canberra Times
The Canberra Times
National
Olivia Ireland

Man steals police car, throws woman out of vehicle

A man who stole a police car and then threw a woman out of her vehicle has pleaded guilty to multiple offences.

Antony Adrian Schuster, 28, pleaded guilty in the ACT Magistrates Court last Friday to charges of robbery, aggravated dangerous driving, driving while unlicensed, possessing stolen property, and two counts each of car theft and property damage.

Prosecutors withdrew three further charges levelled at the Amaroo man.

Court documents show that on March 9, Schuster stole a white Mercedes at about 3.30am.

Police later received a triple zero call at 6.54pm from someone who saw the car driving dangerously in Ngunnawal.

Police found the Mercedes at about 7.12pm in O'Connor and approached two men, one being Schuster and the other co-defendant George George.

Schuster ran away to the rear yard of a property as he "shoulder barged" into an aluminium fence.

Circling back, Schuster then got into the police car, locked the door and drove away.

Driving up to the intersection of Miller Street and Macarthur Avenue, Schuster stopped the police vehicle in the middle of the road to face oncoming traffic.

Schuster got out of the police car and ran to a Suzuki Baleno, opening the driver's door and telling her to "get out, get out".

The victim froze and Schuster grabbed her by her jacket, pulling her from the car onto the road.

The woman then fell under the open car door and got briefly trapped.

The car rolled back and further trapped the victim under the door, as Schuster tried to close it over the top of the woman.

When this didn't work, Schuster drove forward slightly, closed the door and drove away, leaving the victim lying in the middle of the road.

Police found the Suzuki at about 8.11pm in Palmerston.

The next day, about 9.49pm, police attended a home in O'Connor and arrested Schuster.

Schuster was also charged in February with reaching speeds of about 170km/h in an 80km/h zone, and 150km/h in a 60km/h zone.

After pleading guilty, Schuster's lawyer, Taden Kelliher, asked for a referral to the Galambany Court.

Chief magistrate Lorraine Walker listed the matter there for an assessment on October 19, followed by another appearance two days after that.

Antony Schuster pleads guilty after stealing multiple cars, including a police vehicle. Picture by Rohan Thomson
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