Declan Connors, 21, of Shepparton, pleaded guilty to two counts of being a prohibited person possessing a firearm, possessing cartridge ammunition, unlicensed storage of a firearm in an insecure manner, dangerous driving while pursued by police, reckless conduct endangering life and making a threat to kill.
Charges he pleaded guilty to also included failing to stop on police direction, speeding, failing to carry a probationary licence, driving without P-plates and possessing methamphetamines.
Prosecutor Senior Constable Kerrie Thomson told the court police spotted Connors driving at 130km/h in a 110km/h zone on the Goulburn Valley Fwy at Arcadia at 11.25am on June 25 last year.
When police signalled for him to pull over, he sped up to 150km/h.
Police pulled alongside him in a second lane going in the same direction and yelled at him to pull over, but he just increased his speed.
Connors then slammed on his brakes and swerved into the emergency lane on the side of the road to go around a vehicle that was ahead of him, while still travelling at about 150km/h.
Police stopped the chase at 11.37am, before Connors was seen 10 minutes later by another police officer swerving in and out of traffic and the emergency lane and cutting other vehicles off on the Goulburn Valley Hwy at Kialla.
On Riverview Dve, Connors drove on the wrong side of the road and almost collided with another vehicle, before increasing his speed again.
When police found him the next day, he was given an immediate driving ban.
On January 30 police found a photo on Connors’ phone from January 10 of a firearm laying in his lap, despite him being prohibited from possessing firearms.
When questioned about the gun, Connors told police he had “disposed of it in the Goulburn (River) behind Aquamoves”, Sen Constable Thomson said.
Police also found a different gun in a storage shed.
The court also heard of a barrage of hundreds of text messages Connors had exchanged with a woman, including one where he threatened to kill her.
Police heard on an earlier occasion, on October 9, 2024, Connors was speeding at 115km/h in a 100km/h zone on a country road at Shepparton.
He also did not have a licence with him, and there were no P-plates on the vehicle.
He told police at the time he was “trying to get to Katamatite to pick up a car and go home”, Sen Constable Thomson said.
The court also heard that, in another separate incident, Connors drove fast and erratically on Benalla Rd, Callister St and Gilchrist St, and did not stop for police at 1.50am on October 26 last year.
When police spoke to him about it, he told then “he was having ongoing issues and had been chased during the night”, Sen Constable Thomson said.
Magistrate Olivia Trumble ordered that Connors be assessed for a Community Corrections Order with a justice plan attached.
He will return to court in May to be sentenced on the matters.
While in court, Connors’ driver’s licence was cancelled for 12 months.
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