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A Morwell man is facing more than a decade in prison after pleading guilty to recklessly endangering police and assaulting an emergency worker on duty.
Jarrod Pennington rammed a police vehicle and forced officers to jump to safety while speeding off in a stolen car in Victoria’s south east.
The father-of-seven was found slumped inside a Toyota Camry in January 2022 with his de facto partner.
A member of the public called emergency services for help but when police arrived he tried to start the car and flee, the incident all captured on body-worn cameras.
An officer managed to put a stop stick behind a rear tyre but Pennington accelerated backward, straight over it.
Drawing Tasers, officers were forced to leap out of the way as the car took off near a pine plantation, heading toward Traralgon’s residential streets.
With lights and sirens on, officers pursued the Camry, which was seen driving on rims, a second tyre exploding. After an effort to corner the car, a police vehicle was rammed.
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Pennington took off on foot trying to escape through a front yard. He began climbing a fence, swinging his arms and legs at the three police officers surrounding him.
A sergeant was struck in the face, leaving her with a bleeding nose. Her colleagues managed to arrest the 34-year-old.
Once on the ground he told police the injured officer have fallen over, when asked why she was bleeding.
Pennington pleaded guilty to eight charges including the aggravated offence of recklessly exposing an emergency worker to risk by driving – it carries a maximum penalty of 10 years behind bars.
He has also admitted stealing the Camry days earlier, breaking into a Morwell home while the owners slept.
He’ll be sentenced in April.
