A LEGALLY blind alcoholic ice-user with gambling problems, who threw tools at a pursuing police van before a divisional van was rammed, has been released on bail.
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Steven Bausch, 28, of Laverock Road, Warrnambool, successfully applied for bail in the Warrnambool Magistrates Court charged with 11 offences including thefts of cars, burglaries, thefts and assaulting police.
Magistrate John Lesser found that bail conditions could be put in place to reduce the chances of Mr Bausch offending.
Those conditions included an overnight curfew, reporting to police three times a week, that Mr Bausch not use drugs, not associate with co-accused, contact witnesses or go to gambling venues.
The magistrate said he was basically placing the 28-year-old in his mother's care.
Police said that two Holden Caprice hire cars were not returned to the Melbourne airport in late April.
The court was told Mr Bausch, Chloe Harris and James Nichols then went to the Cobden pharmacy on May 15 where Mr Nichols used a pick axe to smash the front door.
It was alleged the trio stole medication and perfume valued at $505.
They then drove the hire cars to Terang where they used the pick axe to break into Foodies and steal cash and goods worth $300.
The same afternoon the offenders went to the City Memorial Bowls Club in Warrnambool where a 59-year-old woman's handbag was taken, containing her mobile phone, $65 in cash and her car keys.
The next night the woman's Holden Commodore sedan was stolen.
It was recovered after suffering minor damage eight days later at Stonyford.
At 4am on June 7 Mr Bausch was again with Mr Nichols and another woman in a stolen Nissan Navara driving along Queens Road when police tried to intercept the ute.
Officers activated their emergency lights and the driver clipped the police van before driving dangerously and at high speed to try and evade police in a four kilometre chase.
Mr Bausch was a backseat passenger, wound down his window and threw tools at the divisional van - including spanners, shifters, hammers and a tool box.
The driver then entered a court and police blocked the sole entry/exit.
The driver drove directly at the police vehicle and only evasive action by an officer to move the van avoided a major collision.
The Navara hit the back of the police van which could not continue the pursuit.
The stolen ute was eventually found in Maxwell Grove along with the bowls club victim's phone and personal papers.
Detective Senior Constable Gary Greene said there was security camera footage of some of the offending and he submitted Mr Bausch was a grave risk of continuing to offend.
The magistrate said an independent report to the court indicated Mr Bausch was using alcohol excessively and ice daily in the lead-up to him being arrested on June 8.