A MAN has been refused bail, accused of leading police on a wild police chase before hiding in a dam to shelter from a fire he's accused of sparking.
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Brendan Clive Colley will remain behind bars until January next year, on charges connected to last Thursday's crime spree through the Bundarra and Cameron's Creek area.
Colley was allegedly behind the wheel of the Holden Commodore that tried to flee police in Bundarra on Thursday, before eventually hiding in a dam to escape an out-of-control fire, where he was rescued and then arrested.
Colley, who was released from hospital on Friday for injuries he suffered in the chase, failed to convince magistrate Michael Holmes he should be released.
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Colley, 38, fronted a bail hearing on Saturday in Armidale Local Court, but Mr Holmes ordered he stay in custody on charges including armed robbery; police pursuit Skye's Law; arson; and destroying property by fire.
His co-accused, William John Abra and Abigail Joyce Lazar, were also remanded in custody in the same court on Friday.
The fire which was deliberately lit during last week's chase has already burnt almost 1400 hectares, according to the RFS on Monday afternoon.
It all started when highway patrol police allegedly detected the Holden Commodore speeding through Bundarra about 9.50am.
When the car, with the trio inside, failed to stop, police initiated a pursuit.
Police called for back-up at 9.55am when the Commodore turned off into the Cameron's Creek area, and the chase ended when they struck rough terrain.
Detectives, extra police as well as rural crime officers from Inverell and Armidale were deployed to the area in a bid to capture the suspects. They were backed by an RFS helicopter which was alerted to the fires and PolAir - the police fixed air wing from Sydney.
Police allege the trio dumped the Holden on a nearby property and fled.
They then allegedly confronted a 57-year-old woman and a 31-year-old woman, along with a young child, on their property at knifepoint, robbing them of another knife, cash, keys and a Toyota Prado.
The trio then allegedly stole the car and took off. When they sighted police, they then allegedly fled through a neighbouring property, damaging gates and fences as police chased them.
They crashed the Toyota in bushland, in rough terrain, where it burst into flames, police said.
Police gave chase on foot, where one of the accused allegedly set a number of fires in a bid to stop police from capturing them.
Police tracked the trio on the ground, and were backed by a spotter RFS helicopter, which had been deployed as a result of the fires.
Abra was arrested on a Kingstown property, before the police fixed wing plane and officers tracked Lazar and Colley to a dam, almost two hours later, where they were found sheltering from the fire.
Abra is facing charges of robbery while armed with offensive weapon; being carried in stolen car; and two counts of intentionally causing a fire and being reckless to its spread.
Lazar was charged with robbery while armed with offensive weapon; and being carried in a stolen car.
If convicted, the trio face a maximum of 21 years' imprisonment.
Police said all three were suffering from dehydration, exposure and other minor injuries suffered in the chase and were treated by paramedics in custody. Colley was then taken to hospital for further treatment and released on Friday, back into the custody of police.
Breanna Chillingworth
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
Northern Daily Leader Senior Crime and Court Reporter
