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A man who dropped his dead fiancé off to paramedics in Joondalup four months ago, sparking a police hunt, has landed himself back before a magistrate after he allegedly crashed into a bus on Friday while trying to escape police.
Luke Raymond James Ritchie, 35, was tracked down by police after a woman’s body was dumped on paramedics in May, later telling a magistrate that she was his fiancé and had died while he was asleep.
Ritchie was charged with a string of drugs charges, as well as possessing a weapon and driving without a licence, but not in connection with the woman’s death.
At the time, he told the magistrate that his fiancé had a history of mental illness and died from a self harm incident.
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He claimed that the woman died while he was asleep and that he drove his car without a licence to take her to Joondalup “because it was an emergency situation”.
Now he’s facing a fresh set of charges after a dramatic pursuit by police through Perth’s northern suburbs on Friday that ended when Ritchie, allegedly driving a stolen car, crashed into a bus.
Police claim he was seen driving a Land Rover Discovery displaying stolen registration plates and failed to stop on Lower Quays Drive, Clarkson just before 2.30pm.
Ritchie allegedly continued driving through several northern suburbs away from police before the Land Rover was abandoned in the underground carpark of a shopping centre in Whitfords.
Police allege he then stole a Mazda BT-50 ute which was later sighted being driven recklessly on Scarborough Beach Road and was monitored by the Police Air Wing before it swerved in front of a bus at the intersections of Scarborough Beach Road and Huntriss Road.
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The bus driver had to brake heavily causing minor bruising to one of the passengers.
Ritchie then allegedly collided with another vehicle, causing minor front-end damage, before turning into Huntriss Road.
Ritchie then allegedly got out of the Mazda and attempted to enter another vehicle before being taken into custody by police.
The Mazda then rolled down Huntriss Road and collided with a small brick wall.
On Saturday he appeared in Perth Magistrates Court in a bedside hearing from hospital after he was charged with multiple firearms offences, possession of methylamphetamine, reckless driving, stealing a vehicle, dangerous driving and no authority to drive.
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He will be back in court on Monday to apply for bail.
He told the magistrate “I’m very injured in hospital”.
With 9 News Perth.
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Rebecca Peppiatt is a journalist with WAtoday, specialising in crime and courts.Connect via email.Hannah Murphy is a journalist with WAtoday.Connect via email.AdvertisementAdvertisement