A dramatic police pursuit in the Illawarra region ended with a man allegedly being discovered hiding in a creek bed, after he fled a roadside stop where he tested positive for drugs.
The Roadside Stop and Dramatic Escape
The incident began around 12:30 PM on Wednesday in Mount Pleasant, a suburb of Wollongong. NSW Police officers stopped a vehicle on New Mount Pleasant Road for routine checks.
The driver, identified as 37-year-old Matthew Joel Purches, underwent preliminary breath and drug tests. Police allege he returned a positive result for cocaine, leading to his arrest for secondary testing.
However, as officers moved to detain him, Purches is accused of accelerating his vehicle, forcing a senior constable to take evasive action to avoid being struck. He then allegedly drove away from the scene, prompting a significant police response to locate him.
Discovery in a Creek Bed and Arrest
The search concluded approximately an hour and a half later, around 2:00 PM, in the nearby suburb of Albion Park. Police resources, including officers from the specialist Raptor Squad, allegedly spotted Purches attempting to conceal himself in a creek bed along Ashburton Drive.
He was subsequently arrested without further incident and taken to Lake Illawarra Police Station for processing.
Multiple Charges and Bail Hearing
Matthew Joel Purches was charged with a string of offences. These included not carrying a licence, failing to submit to an oral fluid test, using an offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention, and resisting a police officer.
In a more serious development, he was also charged with supplying an indictable quantity of cocaine. Police will allege in court that Purches supplied 28 grams of the drug. An additional charge of breaching bail was laid.
Purches was refused bail overnight and appeared at Bail Division Court 3 on Thursday. His lawyer, Matt Ward, argued for his release, citing a "rare combination of factors". Mr Ward told the court his client had been compliant on bail for the previous 17 months, had mental health concerns for which he had a treatment plan, and suffered from three bulging discs in his neck causing significant pain.
He submitted that Purches needed to be at liberty to prepare for a separate, serious District Court matter listed for February in Wollongong, and had a history of attending court.
However, Magistrate Marguerite Vassall noted the alleged offences represented a significant breach of his existing bail conditions, which required him not to use drugs or commit further offences.
While acknowledging Purches's health issues, Magistrate Vassall said she was not satisfied he had shown why his detention was not justified. She refused bail and adjourned the matter to Wollongong Local Court in February. Purches was also referred to Justice Health for assessment of his mental and physical health concerns.
