The man known as “Bike Boy” has been released on bail to a live-in drug rehabilitation centre after being charged with carjacking a mother and her toddlers while wearing only his underwear and a hoodie.

Ryan Meuleman, 28, says his life spiralled into drug addiction and daily ice use after he was seriously injured as a teen in a crash with the family car of former premier Daniel Andrews.

However, his lawyer argued the Noble Park man is now ready to get his life back on track and undertake the hard work of rehabilitation.

Melbourne Magistrates’ Court heard a woman was sitting in her idling car with her three-year-old twins outside a Pakenham laundromat on May 3 when Meuleman jumped in the driver’s seat.

The pair fought over control of the gear stick before Meuleman managed to drive the car a short distance. The woman’s husband heard her cries for help and intervened, pulling the alleged carjacker from the Kia Sportage and holding him until police arrived. The incident was captured on CCTV footage.

The court heard Meuleman was already on bail, charged with commercial burglary and theft when the alleged incident occurred.

On Wednesday, First Constable Donovan Nortje opposed Meuleman’s release saying he had shown a blatant disregard for members of the public and the laws of Victoria.

He pointed to the 28-year-old’s prior convictions for burglary, theft, car theft, drug-related matters, driving more than 45km/h over the speed limit, dangerous driving, deception and cannabis possession.

Defence lawyer Tom Smedley asked for his client to be released to drug rehabilitation centre The Cottage in Shepparton.

“He wants to get his life back on track,” Smedley said.

“Mr Meuleman knows it’s not a holiday and he has work to do there.”

Matthew Morovan, from The Cottage, told the court Meuleman would receive treatment for his daily alcohol and drug use.

He said participants were housed in three cottages on the property which was surrounded by 43 security cameras and 1.8-metre fences.

Morovan said between two and five staff were onsite during the day to help facilitate their three-phase, 12-week program, with patients only able to leave under supervision.

Later, he said, they were allowed to leave alone with a 9pm curfew, and in the final stage permitted to have overnight stays outside the facility.

Random drug testing also took place with “rigorous” searches of new arrivals’ belongings.

However, the court heard no checks were performed between 11.30pm and 6.45am and there were no perimeter alarms onsite.

Smedley said the 2013 incident that left his client, then 15, hospitalised had been a turning point in his life and seen him move from cannabis use to methamphetamines.

Carjacking carries a maximum penalty of 15 years’ jail with a mandatory sentence of time in jail.

Magistrate Phillip Goldberg granted the accused man bail on the condition he stays at The Cottage and is not permitted to leave under any circumstances.

“It’s recognised that a residential rehabilitation program is a benefit to the community and to the applicant. The community is better served when persons are not subject to the ravages that are brought by drug use,” he said.

Meuleman launched defamation proceedings against Daniel Andrews and his wife, Catherine, in November last year, after being badly injured in the collision with the Andrews family’s four-wheel drive in 2013. Meuleman says he was defamed by the couple’s media statement in 2024 implying Meuleman lied about the crash.

Andrews, who was opposition leader at the time, was in the car along with the couple’s three children, while Catherine was in the driver’s seat.

Police cleared the pair of any wrongdoing.

Last year, The Age revealed a group of high-profile Liberals and Victorian philanthropists had donated more than $230,000 to Meuleman’s legal campaign against Andrews.

Meuleman is expected to return to Dandenong Magistrates’ Court in September.