Two men have been charged in separate incidents involving machetes, including an alleged home invasion in Narrabri and a high-speed police pursuit in Tamworth.
Police said a Narrabri resident in his 30s awoke about 3 a.m. Thursday to find a man inside his Violet Street home.
When confronted, the alleged intruder threatened the resident with a machete before taking an electric bicycle, police said. The resident was allegedly threatened again after seeing the man on Violet Street later that day.
Officers arrested a 20-year-old man on the street about 5 p.m. Police said they found cannabis in his possession.
He was charged with armed aggravated breaking and entering, stalking or intimidation with intent to cause fear of physical harm and possessing a prohibited drug.
The man was refused bail and was scheduled to appear in Bail Division Court on Friday.
In a separate incident about 140 kilometers southeast in Tamworth, police said a machete was found on a 19-year-old man following a pursuit early Friday.
Officers allegedly saw a sedan being driven erratically and at high speed in West Tamworth about 3:10 a.m. Police began pursuing the vehicle after its driver failed to stop on Anne Street.
The pursuit continued through West Tamworth, South Tamworth and Hillvue, with the sedan allegedly reaching speeds of 130 kilometers per hour in 50-kilometer-per-hour zones.
Police deployed road spikes on Kent Street in South Tamworth, but the sedan continued with a deflated rear tire. It stopped after traveling through a West Tamworth park and mounting a curb on Kenny Drive.
Officers arrested the driver after a brief foot pursuit during which he allegedly resisted arrest. Police said a search uncovered a machete and $1,300 in cash.
A secondary breath analysis returned an alleged blood alcohol reading of 0.055, police said.
The man was charged with failing to stop during a police pursuit and driving recklessly, resisting police, possessing a knife in a public place, driving with a low-range prescribed concentration of alcohol and exceeding the speed limit by more than 45 kilometers per hour as a provisional driver.
He was granted strict conditional bail and is scheduled to appear in Tamworth Local Court on Sept. 22.
The two incidents are not believed to be connected.
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