A man has passed away while incarcerated in a high-security prison following an incident where he drove his vehicle into a police station in Western New South Wales.
The individual, identified as 67-year-old Donny Hobbs, was denied bail after the event at the Mudgee Police Station last Friday, where authorities reported that he narrowly avoided hitting both police officers and a bystander.
Investigations into the circumstances surrounding his death are being conducted by Corrective Services NSW and the NSW Police.
Hobbs had been charged with several offenses, including dangerous driving and property damage, related to the crash at the police station. He was subsequently remanded at the Bathurst Correctional Facility, where he was held in the maximum security section.
According to a statement from Corrective Services NSW, Donny Hobbs was pronounced dead on Wednesday, June 3. The agency confirmed that any fatality occurring in custody is promptly reported to the NSW coroner and subjected to an obligatory thorough public inquiry.
On the day of the incident, police reported that around 1:30 PM, Hobbs drove his vehicle toward officers who were on patrol near the Mudgee Police Station. Shortly thereafter, he attempted to drive at another officer while exiting the station, ultimately colliding with the building.
Superintendent Tim Chinn, the commander of the Orana Mid-Western Police District, stated that Hobbs’s vehicle “narrowly missed” several officers and a civilian during the incident.
During a court hearing on Friday, Acting Judge Howard Bell denied Hobbs bail, citing that he represented an “unacceptable risk” to the community. The court was informed that the incident appeared to be premeditated and that Hobbs harbored resentment towards law enforcement.
As a result of the incident, Mudgee Police Station is temporarily closed, although a customer service bus is operational from the front, and services are being supplemented by a nearby station. Assessments are currently underway to determine the necessary repairs to the building.
