Victims ‘shaken’ after machete threats – police

A MAN faced Swan Hill Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday after an alleged crime spree across north-west Victoria that began in Swan Hill.

The 21-year-old Swan Hill man was arrested late on Monday night in Hopetoun after allegedly carrying out a spate of carjackings while wielding a machete.

Police said Swan Hill District Health was sent into a Code Black lockdown about 2.40pm, when the man produced a machete at the hospital and damaged a window.

SHDH acting chief executive Chloe Keogh said the hospital would assist patients and staff, who had witnessed a confronting scene.

“Our staff are trained in responding to Code Black emergencies, which means we had security and police called very promptly and the affected areas were closed down quickly,” she said.

“As always, the safety of our community and staff remains paramount in times like this.

“We will continue to support both patients and staff who were affected by this situation on Monday.”

After leaving SHDH, the man is alleged to have approached members of the public with the machete, threatening them before stealing multiple vehicles.

Police responded to a call a short time later after it was reported a man had forced entry to a residence on High Street.

Police then responded to reports of a carjacking on Purtons Lane, where they alleged the man threatened the driver of a black Toyota before stealing the vehicle.

The man allegedly crashed the vehicle at Lake Boga before stealing a blue Toyota Camry and fleeing. The vehicle was later found in Mystic Park.

It’s alleged the man forced entry to a home on Mystic Park Road East, stealing a Toyota Prado.

The man then allegedly led police in a pursuit through Quambatook and Nullawil and rural areas near Hopetoun before he dumped the vehicle and fled on foot.

He then allegedly stole a gold Nissan X-Trail from Mandeville Street in Hopetoun. The vehicle crashed a short time later and the man fled on foot.

It’s believed the man may have travelled to Jeparit and Rainbow before returning to Hopetoun.

Acting inspector Brian Hansen said the incident demanded police resources from across the north of the state.

“This incident spanned almost eight-and-a-half hours, starting Monday afternoon and extending well into that evening,” he said.

“There were multiple stations involved in the response to this. We had multiple work units from not just our own division.

“We had to call on assistance from the Northern Grampians Division 4, as well as seeking assistance from the police air wing and the critical incident response team.”

Insp Hansen said while no one was injured, victims across the region had been left shaken by their experiences.

“Thankfully there were no physical injuries to come out of this,” he said. “There’s no doubt people will be shaken up by this.

“I’d like to reassure the local community that this is not something that we experience regularly in our region.

“We are equipped to deal with it, and it’s just a matter of being able to organise our resources in the right manner to respond to it.”

The man was remanded in custody following the hearing. He returns to court for a committal mention in November.