A Perth man accused of stealing fuel from a petrol station and then running over an attendant with his car as he fled will spend the next fortnight behind bars.
Glenn McCagh, 39, allegedly attempted to drive off without paying for his fuel at a Vibe station in Armadale, in Perth’s outer south-east, around 11am on Monday, before a service attendant noticed and tried to stop him.
As McCagh allegedly accelerated away, the attendant went over the bonnet of the car, smashing the windscreen. He then fell off the vehicle around 50 metres down the road before allegedly being run over by McCagh.
The victim, aged in his 30s, suffered serious injuries and remained in hospital in a stable condition on Tuesday.
McCagh was located late Monday night after WA Police put out a public appeal to identify him.
He was charged with driving with false plates, stealing, dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, failing to stop and render assistance, and failing to report an incident.
He attempted to apply for bail in Armadale Magistrates Court on Tuesday, but the prosecution opposed the application, telling the court there was CCTV and a “strong” case against him, with prison time likely.
McCagh will be remanded in custody for the next two weeks while the magistrate considers whether home detention could be appropriate, as he has children he cares for and a limited criminal record.
WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said police were aware of the anxiety around the country’s increasing fuel prices, which averaged 245 cents a litre in Perth on Tuesday.
“I think the financial pressure and strain on fuel prices goes for everyone … and I can’t speak to the motives of this particular individual, but what I can say is that there is a person in our community has been harmed from this, and that’s inexcusable,” he told media.
WA Industrial Relations Minister Simone McGurk said there was no justification for allegedly stealing fuel or assaulting an attendant.
“I understand the pressures that people are feeling with cost of living … and that the increased fuel prices are adding to people’s anxiety, and perhaps their hip pockets as well,” she said.
Blanch said while police were bracing for an increase in fuel station thefts, the fuel crisis had not yet reached a level that required police input.
“There are levels of any emergency, and we are currently at a very low level that doesn’t require police involvement,” he said.
“At the moment, it’s all about the demand for fuel and the distribution of fuel, and that’s certainly not a police responsibility.
“We’re a long way from that, at this point. There are other departments, the Department of Energy and the Energy Coordinator who looks at the distribution and logistics of fuel today, to make sure that the people who need fuel have it, so it’s probably not for me to comment at this time until police are required.
“There is an Emergency Management Act, there is a State Hazard Plan, we are always prepared for the worst, but we are nowhere near that yet.”
Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen told parliament on Tuesday that six service stations out of 771 in WA had run out of fuel.
WA was faring better than bigger states including New South Wales where there are 164 stations without diesel and 289 without at least one type of unleaded fuel, out of a total of 2417 service stations.
In Queensland, there are 55 service stations without diesel and 35 without regular unleaded out of 1800 service stations.
In Victoria, there are 162 with one or more grades unavailable out of 1627 service stations.
WA Nationals leader Shane Love has accused the state government of keeping drivers in the dark about the fuel shortage situation in the west.
He said other states were tracking shortages in real time, and providing daily updates, while WA’s regime requires petrol stations to self-report stock levels.
“Families are preparing to head on road trips, yet service stations in parts of regional WA cannot guarantee fuel will be available,” he said.
“This government is sending people onto our roads without the most basic certainty, that they can fuel their vehicle and get home safely.”
A state government spokesman said authorities were working with industry to implement a new digital reporting system.
“This data will inform the work of the Fuel Industry Operations Group who will continue to respond to these issues,” he said.
“Weekly updates on the work of the FIOG will be provided publicly each Friday.”
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