Shepparton man rammed car three times in high-speed chase

The court heard Klaver rammed a car three times while following it at a speed of about 160km/h early in the morning of November 27, 2021.

While driving, Klaver began following a woman in her car around Shepparton, after she picked up someone from the Archer St shops at about 12.20am.

At one point, he quickly drove towards the back of the car and stopped within metres of it.

The driver was scared Klaver would crash into her, so she drove away as fast as she could at about 160km/h, before he rammed the car three times.

The driver then pulled up in front of a traffic control vehicle at the intersection of Shepparton-Euroa and Doyles Rds and called the police.

In documents submitted to the court, Klaver told police he didn’t hit the victim’s car or follow her, and the damage to his car was caused by hitting a sheep.

Prosecutor Andrew Moore said Klaver had committed a “very serious driving offence” that could have had “very catastrophic consequences”.

Klaver’s Victoria Legal Aid defence lawyer, Alex McLennan, said Klaver had spiralled into drug use and depression after a relationship breakdown in 2015.

He said, although he had not been formally diagnosed, a medical report suggested his symptoms aligned with a “major depressive disorder”, Mr McLennan said.

In the report, Klaver admitted he had been using methamphetamine for “quite some time” and “quite heavily”.

Mr McLennan told the court Klaver grew up in a “dysfunctional household” where there was drinking and violence present, and he was “exposed to some significant scenes”.

Klaver had spent time in custody before, but he was using this time to reflect and had a “positive plan on eventual release”, Mr McLennan said.

Klaver believed the woman driving the car didn’t own it, Mr McLennan said.

Judge John Kelly noted in the trial that Klaver said he was a “concerned citizen” and didn’t want the 14-year-old in the passenger seat to come into any harm from the 30-year-old driver.

Mr Kelly also noted Klaver made a “series of rash decisions” on the night of the offending, and his “lifestyle appeared fairly chaotic”.

Klaver decided to represent himself in the trial on the charge of reckless conduct endangering serious injury, and the jury found him guilty on August 6.

Judge Kelly will sentence Klaver in October.