Inside story of Sydney teenager Jade Muscat's Jaguar speeding spree as she pleads guilty to six offences

7NEWS

6 days ago

A young P-plater busted driving over 200km/h in her luxury vehicle in a shocking speeding spree told police she 'needed to get to Melbourne', court documents reveal.
Jade Muscat, 19, has pleaded guilty to six offences after she was caught speeding three times in one day at separate points along the Hume Highway on Saturday, April 12 this year in her black Jaguar F-Pace.
The saga began when the Sydney teenager was slapped with a speeding ticket after she was clocked travelling at more than 20km/h over the 110km/h limit along the Hume Highway at Gunning, in the NSW Southern Tablelands, about 10.40am on Saturday 12 April.
But the fine did little to deter Muscat, who continued to flaunt road rules as she made her way south.
According to police facts obtained by 7NEWS.com.au, Muscat was again pulled over by Highway Patrol officers just over an hour later after she was detected driving at 215km/h about 11.45am at Tumblong, 10 minutes south of Gundagai.
Police issued the teenager, from Paddington in Sydney's ritzy eastern suburbs, with a court attendance notice for two offences — driving at a dangerous speed and exceeding speeds more than 45km/h as a green P-plater — and suspended her licence.
The officers also confiscated her number plates, issued her with a confiscation notice, and placed a confiscation notice on her windscreen.
However, less than two hours later, police received a driving complaint about a black SUV with no number plates.
According to the facts, the driver was seen about 1.30pm weaving in and out of traffic and driving at excess speed near Little Billabong while travelling south along the Hume Highway.
Officers were dispatched to Table Top, where they took up a stationary position on the Hume Highway, about 1km north of Burma Road.
'About 2.10pm police heard the sound of a vehicle driving at high speed south bound and saw the vehicle through thin vegetation,' the facts read.
'Police estimated the speed of the vehicle at over 190kmph, well in excess of the posted 110kmph. Police observed the vehicle to be a black Jaguar SUV with no number plates fitted to the vehicle.'
As Muscat approached, police used a radar gun to carry out a speed check, which returned a reading of 201km/h.
The officers then quickly jumped in their vehicle, turned their warning lights on and began chasing Muscat.
According to the facts, Muscat was travelling so fast police had to 'cover about 10km over a three-minute time frame at over 200km/h' to catch up with her.
They eventually reached her about 2.5km north of Tynan Road, where Muscat pulled her vehicle to the side of the road.
Police said when they spoke to Muscat she was 'fully aware' she was not to be driving due to her licence being suspended and the number plates being removed from her car.
Muscat was arrested and returned a negative breath test.
She also admitted to tampering with the number plate confiscation notice police stuck to her car.
'Whilst the accused was retrieving items from her car, police noticed the vehicle number plate confiscation notice sticker on the passenger floor of the vehicle,' the facts continue.
'Police enquired with the accused that police that stopped her earlier would have told her that she could not remove the notice, which she replied 'they didn't, but it is written on there'.'
Muscat was taken to Albury Police Station, where she was charged with drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous, class A motor vehicle exceed speed more than 45 km/h, drive motor vehicle while licence suspended, operate vehicle during number-plate confiscation period, and tamper with etc. number-plate confiscation notice.
According to the facts, the events occurred during fine, sunny weather on sealed, dry roads while traffic was 'medium to heavy due to school holidays and families travelling'.
At the station, Muscat told police she continued to drive because 'she needed to get to Melbourne to see family' and 'had no other means of getting there as police in Gundagai told her there were no trains from there'.
'Police formed the opinion that the accused had no regard for other people on the road and showed no remorse relating to her driving behaviour,' the facts state.
'Gundagai is a township with a 24-hour service centre, and a bus service that is available for travel if booked.'
Police later dropped one of Muscat's seven charges — P2 exceed speed more than 45km/h — that was issued during the second speeding incident.
Muscat faced hearings in Gundagai and Albury last month, during which she pleaded guilty to the six remaining charges.
Police have requested that Muscat's car be forfeited to the crown upon her conviction under section 245 of the Road Transport Act.
Under the ACT, if a driver commits a serious offence for a second time within five years, the vehicle they used is eligible to be taken away by the government.
She is due to appear at Gundagai Local Court on August 15 for sentencing.