Four-minute window: Identity issue in high-speed Geraldton chase case

A Geraldton man accused of leading police on a high-speed chase through the suburbs will go to trial after pleading not guilty, saying police charged the wrong person. Police allege Shaun James Mitchell, 43, was driving a Ford Falcon XR6 along Utakarra Road at 2.15pm on January 21 when they attempted to pull him over for allegedly false licence plates. The plates — which they say read “demonic” — were of less concern after he allegedly took off at speed. Prosecutor Sgt Troy Guildersleeve said the vehicle reached speeds of 140km/h in a 60km/h zone on Pass Street before the two pursuing vehicles lost sight. “Four minutes later the accused was located on Dorothy Street,” he said. “There was a tarp covering the vehicle and he was sitting out the front with the keys alongside him.” He was arrested and charged with reckless driving to escape pursuit, failing to comply with a direction to stop, using an unlicensed vehicle on the road and driving with forged plates. In Geraldton Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Mr Mitchell’s lawyer, Georgia Keysers, said he denied he was the driver and there were “several people in the house”. “I’ve seen the footage of the pursuit and there’s no identity seen in the video,” she said. Magistrate Chris Miocevich remanded the matter to July 9 who said it would be set down for trial on that date. “After hearing the facts it doesn’t appear to be the strongest prosecution’s case,” he said.