A teenager was jailed for two years three months after admitting being the driver of two unlawfully taken cars which were involved in police chases in June.
In the Christchurch District Court, Ethan Stuart Batt, 19, was sentenced on two charges of failing to stop for police, resisting police, reckless driving, two charges of unlawfully taking cars, two charges of driving while disqualified, driving in a dangerous manner, burglary, and breach of sentence release conditions.
His spate of crimes started on May 15 when he smashed a French door window of a house in Waimea Terrace. He took clothing, shoes, and personal items worth $660.
On June 13 he took a car from Timaru, and was seen driving it in Linwood on June 16.
Police attempted to stop the car but Batt sped up and was driving up to 100kmh in a 50kmh zone. The pursuit lasted five minutes through Burwood and Avonside, but police abandoned it because of the speed and the dangerous driving. Batt lost control of the car in Gloucester Street and took off on foot.
On June 25, Batt took another car from an address in Sumner. Police again tried to stop him, but he headed up Wilsons Road and continued to weave through the streets of the area trying to lose the patrol car.
Police laid spikes and one of the rear tyres deflated but he kept on driving onto Brougham Street. Another police unit laid more spikes, but Batt drove on the wrong side of the road against the flow of traffic making other road users take evasive action to avoid a collision.
Police abandoned the pursuit, but Batt stayed on the wrong side of the road as he drove for around 30 minutes through the central city, and circling the four avenues.
He swerved at police cars as the police continued using road spikes to stop him, and eventually all the tyres were deflated.
He was forced to stop on Deans Avenue, ran directly at the police patrol, and attempted to punch police. He struggled as he was being arrested.
Judge John Macdonald said he was jailing Batt for two years three months, and he had to pay reparation of $660 for the burglary. He disqualified Batt from driving for a further 18 months after his current disqualification ends in March 2018.
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