Bendigo Man Uses Covid Excuse To Avoid Police Questioning

Glen Wallis, 43, has been sentenced to 18 months in jail after going on a “one-man crime spree” dating back to 2019. 

Wallis stole cars, robbed his mate’s home, defrauded a charity and dealt drugs among many others but every time police circled in on Wallis he used “sickness” as an excuse. 

On two occasions he told police he had flu-like symptoms and medical advice recommended police not interview him due to risk of Covid-19. 

Wallis was caught with drugs after driving a stolen black motorcycle and riding through Eaglehawk in March 29 2020. He was busted with drugs as he attempted to evade arrest by running down a police officer. Constable Mark Reynolds jumped out of the way, grabbing Wallis’s backpack, dragging him off the moving bike. 

Inside the backpack were credit cards, deal bags, electronic scales, methylamphetamine, ecstasy pills, Zanax tablets and an ice pipe. 

Amazingly, Wallis was able to escape the police by complaining of chest pains and problems with his pacemaker. He was checked into Bendigo Health and was able to check himself out before being admitted. 

Wallis broke into the home of two women that same year. One woman said she found all her kitchen cupboards opened, items moved and her bedroom turned upside down. She ran outside and called Triple-0 after finding Wallis and another man waiting for her in the lounge room. 

On the other occasion, Wallis began stalking a woman, lurking around her home, calling and texting her hundreds of times over 22 days and threatening suicide if she did not meet with him. 

On July 22, the woman found him inside her home. Wallis threw a lawnmower through a window when she called for help. 

Wallis was described as a “one-man crime wave” by Magistrate Angela Bolger as he pled guilty to over 25 charges at Bendigo Magistrates' Court last Tuesday. 

“Where do you start?,” she said.

Wallis was sentenced to 18 months in prison (having already served 169 days) with a 12-month non-parole period. He was fined $1000 for a counterfeit money offence and unroadworthy charges as well as having his license suspended for four years. 

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