AMount Gambier man who allegedly swung a hatchet at police in Adelaide will stay in custody for at least another three months.


Police also allege the 37-year-old deliberately drove at officers as part of a crime spree in the outer northern suburbs of Adelaide on Monday night.


The man was eventually arrested and charged with multiple offences, including six counts of aggravated endangerment of life.


He was also charged with two counts of failing to stop his vehicle, two counts of property damage, driving while disqualified, hindering police, resisting police, unlawful possession and assaulting a prescribed emergency worker.


His application for police bail was refused and he appeared in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court the following afternoon.


The man did not seek bail and was remanded in custody by Magistrate David White to appear again on May 27.


Police issued a statement in the wake of the alleged offending.


“Just after 7pm on Monday, Northern District police who were investigating a break-in at a Blakeview service station that occurred on the previous Friday, attended at an address on Conyngham Street, Elizabeth East,” police said.


“Police will allege a man was seen sitting in the driver’s seat of a silver Ford station wagon.


“When police directed him to exit the vehicle, he conducted a three-point turn in the backyard, drove through a fence near the police, and sped off along Halsey Road.


“Fortunately, the officers were able to jump out of the way to avoid being hit.


“Shortly later, at 7.40pm, police found the same vehicle at an address on Davies Street, Willaston.


“As they approached, the driver reversed at speed, crashing into a parked police car and causing substantial damage.


“A police officer managed to break the driver’s window, but the driver swung a small hatchet at the officer, who then deployed capsicum spray.


“The driver drove back through the property and through rear fence, before colliding with a member of the public’s vehicle which was parked in the driveway while attempting to flee the police.


“The man was safely removed and arrested, while trying to escape in his vehicle.


“Investigations are ongoing to determine if the man was involved in the Blakeview service station break-in.”


Meanwhile, a Coonawarra man will stand trial following a fatal collision on the Riddoch Highway at Penola last March.


The man appeared in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court to plead not guilty to two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one count of causing serious harm by dangerous driving.


In other news, State Coroner Naomi Kereru began an inquiry in Adelaide on Tuesday into the deaths of three Milicent residents in a vehicle crash near Mount Gambier.


Ned Walker, 80, his wife Nan Walker, 70 and their daughter Sue Skeer, 55, were killed in a head-on collision on the Princes Highway at Suttontown in November 2020.


A 16-year-old South East male was later found guilty by trial of careless driving, but not guilty of the more serious offence of causing death by dangerous driving.


In his opening remarks on Tuesday, counsel assisting the coroner Martin Kirby said the inquest would examine whether the teenager was fit to be driving a motor vehicle on a learner’s permit at the time of the crash. The inquest continues.


Also on Tuesday , police and emergency services received a distress signal from a sailing vessel about 70km northwest of Cape Jaffa.


The12m catamaran had two elderly sailors on board when the motor failed and it could not reach shore.


Superintendent Brown said the stricken vessel was towed to land by a commercial fishing boat at 5.30pm.