Sped along Transmission Gully then furious at being stopped by police

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Caught speeding at 177kmh through Wellington’s Transmission Gully, a man flew into a rage and threatened police who stopped him, then had to be pepper sprayed.

He was found to be carrying a used meth pipe.

Wi Mahuika Thomas, 32, was in Gisborne District Court recently for sentencing on charges arising from that incident on October 2, last year, and an assault in February, this year.

The assault happened when Thomas went to the victim’s flat at about 9pm. There was no response when Thomas knocked on the back door so he tried to kick it in, damaged a door frame in the process before going to the front of the house and realising he could get in through that door. Thomas wanted the man to go somewhere with him but the man refused. Thomas responded by punching him in the body and face multiple times, causing the man to fall backwards. A woman at the flat intervened and phoned police. The man suffered bruising to one of his eyes, and a shoulder injury.

Thomas subsequently pleaded guilty to various charges arising from the two incidents — dangerous driving, possession of a meth utensil, threatening to kill, disorderly behaviour, wilful damage, common assault (laid under the Crimes Act), and two breaches of intensive supervision.

Judge Warren Cathcart imposed 221 days imprisonment — time served for Thomas who had been that long on remand in custody.

He was disqualified from driving for six months.

The intensive supervision that Thomas breached, was cancelled and substituted with 30 days imprisonment concurrent on the 221 days. The supervision had been imposed on  Thomas in the North Shore District Court last April for a charge of threatening to kill.