Northland news in brief: Alleged fleeing driver in custody; two new prison guards

The alleged driver of this car, which led police on a chase through Whangārei, before its tyres were spiked, has been remanded in custody.

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A driver who allegedly led Whangārei police on a short pursuit has been remanded in custody to appear before a District Court judge next week.

No pleas were taken when Caleb Pitkethley, 21, of Tauranga, appeared before a Justice of the Peace in the Whangārei District Court yesterday on various charges.

They included four charges of theft of petrol, three of driving while disqualified, two of failing to stop, two of reckless driving, and single charges of unlawfully taking a motor vehicle, and possession of utensils for the purposes of smoking methamphetamine.

No application for bail was made and Pitkethley was remanded back in custody to re-appear on July 29.
A Mazda 3 he was driving allegedly failed to stop for police at the intersection of State Highway 1 and Maungakaramea Rd on Wednesday and officers laid spikes on Otaika Rd.
The car came to a stop further along the road near Matipo Pl.

Sentencing postponed
The sentencing of a Moerewa man who admitted causing a fiery high-speed crash that critically injured a mother and her 4-year son has been postponed. Rima Tamehana, 31, was to have been sentenced in the Kaikohe District Court on Thursday on six counts of reckless driving causing injury and one of failing to stop to ascertain injury.

However, Judge Duncan Harvey said the sentencing should be carried out by Judge Greg Davis, who knew the case well, so he set a new date of August 19. Going ahead on Thursday would have been unfair on Tamehana and also on the main victim, who was not present but wanted to be able to read an impact statement to the court. Tamehana was driving a black BMW at high speed through Moerewa on October 21 last year when he lost control near the bottom of Turntable Hill and slammed into a southbound car, injuring Stacey Faaliga and her children aged 4, 7 and 9. Tamehana's vehicle turned into a fireball. He fled the scene but handed himself in to Kawakawa police the next day.

New prison officers

Northland Regional Corrections Facility (Ngawha Prison) will get two new prison officers
from the latest Corrections Ministry graduation.
Rugby league legend Sir Graham Lowe was the first patron for a graduating cohort when 65 new recruits graduated in Upper Hutt on Wednesday.
Mt Eden Corrections Facility gets the largest number of new officers - 21 - with two going to Ngawha Prison.

Cars could be banned from beach

In a move to improve public safety, vehicles could be banned from the large section of Langs Beach used by beachgoers, but allowed to cross the boat-launch area, if a Whangārei District Council bylaw change goes ahead.
Council is calling for public submissions on an amendment to its Control of Vehicles on Beaches Bylaw to address the issue of accidents between vehicles and people on Langs Beach. Submissions close on Monday, August 12 at 5pm.