Man accused of horror axe attack now refusing to 'get out of bed' for court
Caleb Flentjar, 25, was slapped with 11 charges after he led police on a 50km pursuit from Nowra to Kiama on the NSW South Coast on Saturday afternoon.
He failed to appear in court on Monday, after reportedly refusing to meet with a legal representative or step outside his cell at Wollongong Police Station.
'He refuses to see me, and presumably anyone else,' his lawyer Cassie Lee told the court, as reported by the ABC.
'Apparently he won't get out of bed.'
Flentjar was arrested following an alleged violent spree that began shortly before 1pm in the quiet suburb of Worrigee, near Nowra.
He allegedly threw an axe at a police car as officers arrived on the scene, then ran to a nearby home on Illawarra Circuit.
There, he allegedly struck a 66-year-old woman sitting in a Ford Mustang with an axe, before dragging her from the vehicle and running her over.
The woman suffered significant injuries to her legs and torso and remains in a serious but stable condition in St George Hospital.
A manhunt was launched for the Ford Mustang, with officers locating the stolen car heading southbound on the Princes Highway about 2pm.
When Flentjar allegedly failed to stop, a high-speed pursuit ensued.
The Ford Mustang reportedly hit speeds of up to 180km/hour in an 80km/hour zone as it passed through Nowra, Bomaderry, Berry, Gerringong and Kiama.
Police say Flentjar narrowly missed a highway patrol officer while allegedly swerving to avoid road spikes.
The chase ended at Kiama Downs when the Mustang collided with a ute while driving on the wrong side of the Princes Highway.
Flentjar allegedly attempted to flee the scene on foot but was tackled and restrained by members of the public until police arrived.
He was arrested and taken to Wollongong Hospital under police guard. The driver of the ute was also taken to hospital for assessment.
Police seized an axe and hammer from the Mustang for forensic examination.
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