A MAN has pleaded guilty to a three-day crime spree involving multiple carjackings, threatening others with weapons, stealing petrol and leading police on a chase across the Riverina and Murray regions.
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Braydon Connor Johnstone, 25, of Wodonga, appeared in Wagga Local Court on Wednesday when he made admissions to three counts of dishonestly obtaining property by deception and two counts each of aggravated driving in company, detaining a person to obtain advantage and robbery.
Johnstone also pleaded guilty to one count each of receiving property worth more than $5000 and police pursuit.
Two of the offences involved Johnstone using a knife to threaten his victims.
Court documents state that Johnstone's first car theft was on November 18 last year when he borrowed a Toyota Camry and never returned it to the owner.
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Later that day, he pulled next to a Holden Commodore at a petrol station in Albury and demanded the victim to "get out or I will stab you".
Once the victim ran out, Johnstone sat in the driver's seat for some time, trying to start the manually driven car. But after a while, he gave up and ran back to his car before driving away.
The next day, Johnstone tried the same tactics, including the threat of stabbing, on a different victim at Lavington Shopping Centre. This time he was able to steal a Holden Statesman.
The following day when he was travelling towards Wagga, he cut off another Commodore before punching the victim in the face and pulling him out of the car.
Police finally arrested him after he failed to steal a Mazda utility with two men inside on the Olympic Highway at Uranquinty.
Police had earlier started a pursuit involving its highway patrol cars and air wing before terminating it for safety reasons.
At one stage, Johnstone forced a police car off the road. He also nearly caused a crash with a tipper truck.
During the three days, Johnstone stole nearly 100 litres worth of petrol in Corowa and Albury.
He was remanded in custody and is set to face sentencing on September 13. In court on Wednesday, he was sentenced to two months' jail for a breach of bond.
A co-accused, who has been charged with 12 offences in relation to the incidents, is set to face court next month.