Gang member's meth-fuelled rampage: Rotorua police cars rammed and officers injured

A man has been sentenced to five years in prison for 27 charges relating to a meth-fuelled police chase that ended in Rotorua. Photo / File

A gang member who rammed police cars, injured officers and held up an innocent bystander with an axe while high on methamphetamine has been jailed.

Anthony Michael Fowles, a high-ranking member of the Killer Bees gang in Palmerston North, was sent to prison for five years on Thursday in the Rotorua District Court after pleading guilty to 27 charges.

His offending spree spanned two cities and three days starting in Palmerston North on December 31 and ending in Rotorua on January 2.

Judge Tony Snell said the incidents were "fuelled by meth" and Fowles was not concerned for his own safety or anyone else's.

He had caused "significant danger" to everyone involved, he said.

On December 31 last year, Fowles stole his parent's car from their address in Palmerston North and picked up his friend Chance Winston.

The pair headed north on State Highway 1 when they were spotted by police driving at excessive speeds including hitting 162km/h in a 60km/h zone.

A chase started, during which Fowles periodically drove on the wrong side of the road and directly into the path of another vehicle causing it to swerve.

Police abandoned the pursuit and Fowles responded by slowing down to 30km/h in an effort to "entice" them before accelerating and poking out his tongue at officers.

Later on, Fowles drove directly towards the front of a police car on Amberley Ave in Palmerston North before throwing a hammer out the car's window at the police car.

He left the area and headed north towards Taupō, where he used methamphetamine and stole petrol from a Caltex service station on January 1 before heading to Putaruru.

On January 2, Winston was spotted driving the stolen car down Old Taupo Rd in Rotorua.

As the car had been reported stolen, officers attempted to stop it and Winston pulled over.

At this point, Fowles jumped out of the car armed with a hatchet.

He used the "full force of his body" to slam the weapon into the bonnet of the police car before getting back into the stolen car and speeding off.

Police began to chase the car that was weaving through traffic on Old Taupo Rd, while another police car was in position at the Devon St West roundabout.

Fowles swerved the stolen car into the passenger door and front wheel of the police car at the roundabout then sped up Devon St at 110km/h in a 50km zone.

Fowles drove directly at officers on the side of Pukehangi Rd, causing them to jump out of the way and him to crash into another police car and a street sign.

A number of police cars were damaged in the chase. Photo / File

Fowles accelerated off and a short time later drove past officers on Paradise Valley Rd and waved out the window.

Police again began to follow Fowles until they found he had stopped his vehicle in the middle of the road.

Fowles then reversed back at speed, hitting the police car at force and causing the stolen car to become airborne.

The police car rolled back and almost flipped before ending up in a ditch. Both officers suffered injuries including concussion and a blood nose.

Fowles sped off before his car was spiked by police.

He drove on to State Highway 5 in Ngongotahā where his tyres fully deflated.

He swerved in front of a member of the public's car before jumping out with an axe and demanding the man get out of his car.

He was waving the axe in a chopping motion but the man remained in his seat.

At this point, police approached Fowles armed with guns which caused him to run back to his stolen vehicle.

He then began moving towards police armed with the axe but police chose not to shoot due to the risk it posed to people nearby.

Fowles jumped back into the car, held the blade of the axe to his passenger Winston's neck and screamed at police to shoot him.

The police were able to Taser Fowles and remove him from the car.

A knife and eight live shotgun cartridges were found in the car.

Fowles told police his brother's details as his own and said he had taken methamphetamine and kidnapped Winston.

Judge Snell referred to comments made by another judge at a previous hearing, who noted the fact that someone did not die in this offending was "only a matter of luck".

Fowles' lawyer Fraser Wood told the court his client had problems throughout his childhood and was institutionalised as a child, had issues with substance abuse and was involved with gangs early on.

Police were seeking up to $60,000 in reparation but the judge rejected this as Fowles had no means of paying it.

Fowles was also disqualified from driving for four years.