A man who was riding a stolen motorbike when he allegedly led police on a chase at Lake Macquarie this week has been refused bail.
Tony Melmouth, a 42-year-old Mount Hutton man, was charged on Monday following a police pursuit at Hillsborough just after midday.
Mr Melmouth was serving a licence suspension when he was allegedly caught riding a stolen Kawasaki EX400.
According to court documents, he resisted police following the chase.
Magistrate Stephen Olischlager refused Mr Melmouth's application for bail in Belmont Local Court on Tuesday morning.
Magistrate Olischlager said there was a "very strong case against Mr Melmouth".
He said protection of the community was a factor in deciding whether he should be released from custody while the charges were before the court.
The court heard that Mr Melmouth allegedly reached "excessive speeds" during the pursuit.
Magistrate Olischlager said it was "very likely, if not inevitable" that a conviction would result in a custodial sentence for Mr Melmouth.
He will face court again on April 10.