A MAN who allegedly rammed a police car and fled officers on a handful of occasions has been put behind bars after a dramatic arrest in Armidale.
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Plain-clothes police as well as uniformed officers from New England swooped on 29-year-old Jay Campbell on Wednesday night in a quiet Armidale street.
Campbell was wanted by police who set up Strike Force Mancini after a number of cars were stolen and break-ins reported.
Following weeks of investigations, New England crime manager Detective Inspector Ann Joy said he was tracked to Armidale.
“Police had information that he may have been in the Armidale area and as a result of a number of inquiries he was located,” she said.
Officers traced the 29-year-old to a Virginia Ave home before he led police on a foot pursuit, culminating in his arrest in Braund St.
Police had extra officers on as part of the operation, after Campbell allegedly led police on two separate police pursuits and rammed a police car on the coast.
Campbell’s alleged crime spree began after a break-in in Raymond Terrace on October 24.
Police will allege that during separate police pursuits Campbell tried to ram a highway patrol car but narrowly missed.
He’s accused of hitting his target and ramming a general-duties police car in a desperate bid to evade officers on another occasion.
On November 1, the 29-year-old was involved in another alleged pursuit in a stolen car in the Coffs Clarence area, where he’s accused of forcing the police cars off the road before escaping.
But the spree unravelled when the local police operation pounced on Wednesday.
Detective Inspector Joy said the man left the home on a pushbike, riding towards the railway line before he dumped the bike and dropped a backpack.
“It was a good result for police, because he has been wanted for some time,” she said.
“We utilised both Western and Northern region resources in the operation which culminated in his arrest.
“The allegations relate to offences in the Manning Great Lakes area, Coffs Clarence LAC and Port Stephens.”
Police say they found jewellery and foreign currency in the backpack.
Campbell fronted Armidale Bail Court yesterday morning on a string of charges, including four counts of taking and driving a conveyance, two counts each of police pursuit – Skye’s Law, break, enter and steal, dangerous driving, stealing from a motor vehicle, using a weapon to avoid apprehension, and one count each of menacing driving, predatory driving, driving while unlicensed, obtaining benefit by deception and an outstanding warrant.
